


The Way Things Were Not

by writetherest



Category: Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, F/F, Role Reversal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-30
Updated: 2012-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:26:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 22,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writetherest/pseuds/writetherest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He shifts the pages until he sees the one with Storybrooke Daily Mirror emblazoned on the top. The picture stares up at him then, the blonde with the pretty smile and the caption under it reading 'Mayor Swan enjoys the annual Miner's Day celebration'.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Many, many thanks to **fictorium** for all the help with this, including beta duties. This was written for a prompt on Tumblr where Emma was the mayor and Regina was the bail bondsperson. It is obvious AU and in this particular universe, the curse doesn't exist.

The pages are creased and crinkled, worn even though they're only a few weeks old. But in those few weeks they've been pored over during every stolen moment, the words whispered over and over until they've become imprinted on his mind. He doesn't need them anymore, the words and image the brightest memory he has.

He feels sometimes – like now, in the darkness of the tiny apartment, with only the muted neon lights of the city surrounding them to see by – like they are a tangible thing that he can grasp hold of, even if the papers aren't there. They have been becoming more and more real to him with each passing day until this moment when he knows for sure that they are. They are real, this is real, and he has to act on it now.

His fingers twitch around the crumpled pages as he moves quietly across the room. He pushes the couch cushions up to reveal a tiny collection of comic books. Thumbing through, he pulls out the one he wants – Wolverine vs. Hulk – and flips through it until he finds the bus ticket that's been hidden away for two days now.

Sliding the comic books back into their hiding place, he slips the ticket into the waiting backpack at the foot of the couch and glances down at the papers in his hand once more. The top of the first printout proclaims whosyourmomma.org and he mouths the name that he's had memorized from the minute he first saw it on the screen.

_Emma Swan._

He shifts the pages until he sees the one with Storybrooke Daily Mirror emblazoned on the top. The picture stares up at him then, the blonde with the pretty smile and the caption under it reading 'Mayor Swan enjoys the annual Miner's Day celebration'.

His fingers trace the face that he already knows as well as his mother's before he carefully refolds the papers and places them in the backpack too. He slings the backpack up on his shoulder and then moves silently across to the door that is slightly ajar not only because it doesn't latch, but because his mother worries about him during the night.

She's a light sleeper, so he doesn't enter the room, too afraid of waking her. Instead, he squints through the darkness, making out dark hair on a stained pillow and the rise and fall of ratty blankets. He presses two fingers to his lips and blows a silent kiss across to her.

Then he turns and whispers, "I'm sorry, Mom," over his shoulder as he slips out the window and on to the fire escape.

He climbs down carefully and moves quickly out of the back alley onto the still busy street. It takes him nearly five minutes before a cabbie stops and each minute his heart beats faster and faster, afraid that he will be caught. Only once he is in the backseat, seatbelt buckled like Mom always taught him, does he begin to relax.

"Where to kid?" The cabbie asks, eying him.

He pulls out a twenty and holds it up. "The bus station."

The cabbie steps on the gas.

"I'm sorry, Mom." He whispers again to the slowly disappearing building in the rear view mirror.

**

The bus ride is a long one and he spends most of it rubbing his fingers over the papers and hoping that his mom won't freak out too badly when she realizes he's gone. He should've left her a note, he thinks, but it's too late for that now. He considers abandoning the mission, hopping right back on another bus to Boston and he's just about got himself convinced when the large white sign comes into view.

The sun is just coming up, casting a golden glow over the sign that proclaims Welcome To Storybrooke, making it look like something right out of a movie. It's beautiful and quaint and gives him a feeling of home that he's never really had before, no matter how much his mom has tried. "Storybrooke," he murmurs and finds he likes the way the name trips off his tongue.

When the bus finally stops in front of a small diner, he is the first one off, racing down the steps to take in the town. His eyes dart everywhere, trying to see everything at once. Little shops line the sidewalk and there's a large clock tower that is just chiming the hour. Birds are singing in the trees and people are passing by, smiling and calling out to each other as they pass.

He's so taken by the sights that he startles when the bus pulls away from the curb. He's the only one who has gotten off, it seems. He chews his lip for a minute, all of his mother's warnings about strangers and strange places and not trusting anyone ringing in his ears before he finally takes a few tentative steps towards the door of the diner.

A bell rings out, signaling his arrival, and a pretty girl with red streaks in her hair turns towards him, an easy smile on her lips. "Well hello there." She grins at him as he climbs up onto a stool. "What can I get for you today?"

He considers ordering some food for a moment before he shakes off the thought. He's only got a little bit of money and you never know when you might need it. Plus, he's got more important things to do than eat right now. "I was hoping you could help me find someone." He smiles back, using his puppy dog eyes.

The waitress grins. "Well, for a handsome guy like you, I will certainly try. Who are you looking for?"

"Emma." He says her name aloud, surprised at how easy it is for him to say. "Emma Swan."

**

"Madam Mayor?" A voice rings out from the phone on Emma's desk, causing her to look up from her paperwork.

"Yes, Ashley?"

"There's… someone here to see you."

Emma frowns. Ashley sounds strange, which probably means that whoever is here to see her, she won't like it. Rubbing a hand over her face, she sighs. "Send them in, Ashley."

She sits up straighter, pushing her shoulders back, and keeps her gaze locked on the door. For the past ten years, the town has been more than welcoming to her. The citizens of Storybrooke took her in when she had nowhere else to go and helped her get back on her feet and heal. Then, they had gone above and beyond, choosing to elect her as mayor after the previous mayor passed away. Still, there are a small number of citizens who seem to have a problem with her being mayor, even though she's done a damn fine job for the past five years, thank you very much.

So she expects that it's going to be one of those citizens who comes marching through the door, spouting off about something else that needs done or that she's done wrong. But instead, the door swings open to reveal a small boy who looks like he can't be any more than ten.

She's never seen him before, and she's pretty certain she knows everyone in town by now, so she blinks at him before standing up and coming around to the front of her desk. "Hello there. Can I help you with something?"

The little boy looks down at his feet for a moment, before he glances back up at her. "Are you Emma Swan?"

Emma chuckles just a bit. Her name is on the door of the office. "Yep, that'd be me. And you are?"

"I'm Henry." He smiles brightly. "I'm your son."

**

The blaring of the alarm clock jars Regina awake, even as her hand flies out to smack the snooze button. Her whole body aches in protest against the movements. Yesterday had been another rough collar, and though she'd tried to hide that fact from Henry, she knows she won't be able to today.

She doubts even a hot shower and pain killers will be enough to mask these injuries, although she'll certainly try. But it had been a pretty big payoff, so she doesn't regret it for a second.

The alarm blares again and she forces herself to get up, hissing through the pain. She moves out to the living room, her steps slow and tentative. "Henry," she calls, trying to make her voice sound normal, "time to wake up."

There's no reaction, no movement from the couch where Henry's been sleeping, and Regina frowns just a bit, moving further into the room. "Come on, Henry, you need to get up."

There's still no movement and she begins to feel dread creeping up her spine. "Henry?" She flips on the light and feels acid burn her throat as she takes in the empty couch. "Henry, are you here?"

The sudden burst of fear and adrenaline overrides any pain she was feeling as she rushes through the tiny apartment, checking the little bathroom, the run down kitchen, the small closets that are barely big enough for him to fit in and calling his name over and over.

No. This cannot be happening. No. No. No.

"Henry! Henry!"

It's on the second trip through the apartment that she catches sight of the window and the fact it isn't latched. She races to it, pulling it up and looking out, feeling her heart lurch as she notices that the fire escape stairs have been lowered down to street level. "Henry!" She calls out, her eyes scanning the alley frantically. But her son is nowhere to be found.

She whirls around and that's when she sees it. Or rather, doesn't see it. Henry's backpack is gone. She races to the couch and shoves the cushion up, taking in the comic book collection stashed there. She pulls them out and flips through them frantically, noticing that the newest ones she's bought for him as well as his favorites are missing.

For one second relief floods her as she realizes that he hasn't been taken. That this isn't a kidnapping by someone that she's hauled back in to jail who's out for revenge. The comics and backpack wouldn't be gone if it was.

But then, the pain comes back a hundred fold. Henry is gone. He packed his backpack and he left. He left her. Ran away.

Tears fall unbidden down her face as she collapses to the floor against the couch, clutching the comic books and sobbing.

"Henry. Henry."

**

"Wh-what?" Emma chokes the word out as she stares at the little boy, his words echoing in her ears. _I'm your son_. She forces herself to stand straighter, to not give in to the need to slouch or fall down in shock. She is the mayor and she must conduct herself accordingly. Hasn't that been what she's been telling herself for the last five years? "N-no. No. That's impossible. I don't have a son! Where are your parents?"

The little boy - Henry - looks up at her with an easy smile. "Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" Emma's eyes widen and he takes that as all the answer he needs. "That was me."

Emma feels her stomach turn and tears begin to burn at her eyes. "I - give me a minute."

She rushes for the door to the private bathroom, shutting herself in and allowing the tears to fall for a brief moment. For the past ten years she has worked so hard to heal, to forget about the baby that she'd held only once before giving him away and sending him off towards his best chance. And she had finally managed to succeed, to find a new life and a new start. And now he shows up in her office.

No. This cannot be happening. No. No. No.

"Emma?" She hears him call through the door. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes." She forces out, brushing the tears off her cheeks quickly. "I - I'll be right out."

She splashes water on her face and checks to make sure she looks presentable before she forces herself to push the door open and go back into her office. Henry is sitting on the couch, his backpack at his feet, flipping through a comic book. He looks up when he hears the door and offers her a wide smile. Her stomach flips again.

She grabs the phone on her desk, hitting the button to connect her to Ashley. "Ashley, I need you to hold all my calls and cancel all of my appointments for the rest of the day."

"Oh!" Ashley sounds surprised and just a bit flustered by these instructions. Well good, at least Emma's not alone now. "Of course, Madam Mayor."

"And I need you to call Kathryn and have her come to my office as soon as possible. Tell her it's an emergency."

"Yes, of course. But - Madam Mayor, are you alright? Is there anything I can do?"

Emma smiles slightly at the care and concern of her secretary. "I'm okay, Ashley. Just - something's come up and I need to deal with it and I think Kathryn is my best bet here."

"I'll call her right now."

"Thank you, Ashley." Emma says before hanging up the phone and looking back at Henry, who still seems engrossed in his comic books. "Okay, kid -" she grimaces, feeling too much like her old self for calling him that, "err, I mean, Henry, I need you to answer some questions for me."

Henry carefully tucks his comic away and smiles up at Emma as she sits down on the couch next to him. His birth mother is really pretty, even though she looks pretty freaked out right now. "Sure."

"What makes you think that you're my son?"

Henry quickly turns and rummages in his backpack, pulling out the ragged papers and thrusting them at her. "I found you on the internet."

Emma feels the start of a major scam happening here, but as she unfolds the papers and reads over them, she realizes that Henry is telling the truth. There's information in here that couldn't have been obtained except in the court records - which were supposed to be seal, as it was a closed adoption.

"Henry," she tries his name out again, "how did you even know to look for me? I mean, it was supposed to be a closed adoption, you weren't supposed to know about me at all. Not you or your parents."

"After I found out I was adopted, I knew I had to look for you. I knew you'd be able to help me."

"Help you?" Emma's heart sinks. "Why do you need help?"

Henry just smiles a secretive little smile and ignores the question. "I'm really good at finding people. I get it from my mom. My other mom."

Emma's head spins. "Your other - Henry, where are your parents? Do they even know you're here?"

Henry looks down at his lap and she knows then. Oh god. Oh god, this is so, so bad. She glances at the door, willing Kathryn to walk through it, because she needs backup. Badly.

"Henry." She tries to use her best 'mom voice', which turns out to be the voice she uses when dealing with those constituents who are less than pleased with her, and surprisingly it works.

"It's just my mom and me. My dad died when I was two." Henry admits softly and Emma feels her heart shatter once more. "And I didn't tell my mom I was coming to find you."

"Henry!" She gasps. "She's probably worried sick about you! She probably thinks something horrible happened. Where is she? I'm taking you back there right now."

"I - I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Emma stares at him, trying to look for a lie in his words.

"After my dad died things got bad." Henry says slowly. "We didn't have enough money and we had to move around a lot. Mom took a job as a bail bondsperson. She - she has to go all over trying to track people down."

Emma's eyes widened in something like horror. "So she leaves you alone without any idea where she is? You're ten!"

Henry quickly shakes his head. "No. No, Emma, she's not a bad mom. She isn't!" He doesn't want Emma to think that. He doesn't want her to try and have him taken away from his mom. "It's just really hard. But she takes really good care of me and she loves me. I swear."

"Henry." Emma sighs, helplessly.

"We were in Boston when I left. She was home with me. I left while she was sleeping." Henry admits quietly.

"Boston? You came all the way from Boston by yourself?"

"I know how to take care of myself." Henry defends.

"Well, I'm glad for that. And I'm glad that your mom is a good mom, even if she's had some tough times. Which is why you're coming with me and we're going back to Boston." Emma says, the only possible solution she can come up with.

"What? No! We can't do that!" Henry protests. "I told you, my mom is really good at finding people. She's probably on her way here now. If you try to take me back, we'll miss each other and when she finds out I'm not here, she'll really panic and she'll think that you've kidnapped me."

"Because I'm your birth mother." Emma murmurs, feeling dread creeping up. Oh god. This is so, so, _so_ bad.

"Madam Mayor?" Ashley's voice cuts through Emma's thoughts. "Kathryn is here."

"Oh thank god." Emma whispers. "Send her in please, Ashley."

"Emma?" Kathryn asks as she comes through the door, "What's going on? What's the emergency?"

Emma looks at Kathryn and then back to Henry. "Kathryn, meet Henry." She motions to him and then forces the words from her throat. "He's my son."

**

It only takes Regina a few minutes to realize that she needs to pull herself together and go find her son. She drops the comics, leaves the couch cushion overturned, and goes to get dressed quickly. She forces herself to think of Henry as just another person she needs to find, just someone else who is running, not as her ten year old son, the only thing she has left in the world. She has to be a cool, collected bail bondsperson right now, because if she allows herself to be the distraught mother that she really is, she'll never find him.

Once she's got her boots, jeans, and tank top on, she grabs her wallet and leather jacket, as well as the most recent picture of Henry that she has and takes off for the bus station in her beat up yellow Volkswagon. When people want to run, they don’t stay in the same city. But Henry's options for leaving were limited - he couldn't drive and he couldn't fly alone - so the bus station was the best bet.

It takes twenty minutes, a lot of threats, and one round of tears before one of the employees remembers Henry buying a ticket with cash three days earlier. But no one seems to know what bus it was for or where it was going.

Regina's nearly at the end of her rope when one of the janitors catches sight of the picture and says that he saw the boy getting on the bus that had left in the middle of the night heading for Maine.

There were various stops that that bus made though and not knowing which one Henry got off on, she feels just as helpless as she had before.

"Hey, Joe drives that bus and it looks like he's just pulling in. Maybe he remembers what stop your son got off at." The janitor offers with a smile, pointing towards the bus that is just pulling into the station.

Regina takes off at a run, barely managing to throw a thank you over her shoulder as she goes. She's on the bus before Joe even has it in park, thrusting Henry's picture in his face.

"Whoa, lady, what the hell?"

"Do you remember this little boy?" Regina's voice is desperate, "He was on your bus this morning. Do you remember him? Where did he get off?"

"Look, lady, I don't -"

Regina grabs him by the collar then, clutching tightly and trying to get her anger and fear under control. "Look at the damn picture."

"I've been driving all night. I'm exhausted. I don't pay attention to my passengers -"

"He is a ten year old little boy!" Regina nearly sobs. "He had a backpack. He was traveling alone. Please, just look at the picture. Please."

With a sigh, Joe looks at the picture, taking in Henry's face. "Yeah, yeah, okay, that kid. I remember him. Sorta."

"Where did he go? What stop did he get off at?" Regina begs him to remember.

Joe closes his eyes, trying to remember the kid. And then it hits him. "Storybrooke." He mumbles.

"What?"

"Storybrooke. The kid got off at Storybrooke. He was the only one. I remember because no one ever gets off at that stop. But he did."

"Storybrooke?" Regina repeats. "Storybrooke, Maine."

"Yeah." Joe confirms. "Real little town. It's off I-95."

That's all Regina needs to hear. She spins on her boot clad heel and races for her Bug.

"You're welcome!" Joe yells to her retreating back, but she's already too far away to care.

**

"What am I supposed to do?" Emma asks Kathryn after relaying the whole story to her. "I mean, I gave him up in a closed adoption. I'm pretty sure that I'm breaking all kinds of laws right now, Kath, and I can't go back to jail."

"Whoa, whoa." Kathryn puts a hand on Emma's arm, trying to calm the mayor. "It's not going to come to that, okay? I won't let it come to that."

"If his mother thinks I kidnapped him -" Emma glances over to where Henry is still nestled on the couch, engrossed in a hand held video game now. His eyes are drooping a bit and she figures the kid has to be tired after his adventure to get here, but he keeps focused on the game, his fingers moving quickly over the buttons.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Emma. Henry tracked you down and showed up here of his own accord. While you're not supposed to have contact with him, you also can't help that he showed up on your office doorstep. No judge is going to fault you for that."

"Okay." Emma breathes a sigh of relief, thankful for the attorney's help. "But what do I do with him?"

"As of now, no Amber Alerts have been issued. To me, that means that either his mother doesn't realize he's gone, or - more likely - Henry's right in assuming that she's coming looking for him herself. I'd say that for now, your best bet is to get in touch with Graham. Have him call the Boston PD, let them know that Henry showed up here, that you're trying to get in touch with his mother but Henry's not being 100% forthcoming with information about her.” Kathryn pauses, clearly checking off items on some mental list. “By doing that, you're showing that you are trying to get him back, that you aren't trying to kidnap him or anything else. Plus, you've already sought legal counsel and contacted the police to make sure that Henry gets back with his adoptive mother."

"Okay." Emma nods again, feeling like it's the only word she can say. "And until we get in touch with his mother, what should I do with him?"

"From my standpoint, you're okay to keep him with you. You're a well respected, elected official with ties to this town. You wouldn’t endanger him. And the other option is taking him down to the station to wait, probably in a cell. No one wants that to happen to a ten year old kid."

"Okay, so, I call Graham and tell him what's going on, then I take Henry back to my place and I wait until he gets in touch with the mother or she shows up here."

There's panic in Emma's eyes, even as she tries to remain calm, and Kathryn is reminded that she's only a 28 year old woman who had no family growing up and is, in many ways, still just a lost little girl. She reaches out and grasps Emma's hand. "How about I go talk to Graham, get all of that stuff taken care of, and you just go ahead and take Henry back to your place?"

Emma looks relieved and offers a semi-watery smile to her friend. "Thank you, Kath. Really. I -"

"Hey." Kathryn shakes her head and smiles. "It's okay. It's nothing, in fact. You gave me a job when no one else would. I owe you far more than this."

Emma smiles. "I just knew I was going to need a great lawyer one day."

"Well you got one." Kathryn smiles, then turns to Henry. "Henry?"

The little boy jolts just a bit at Kathryn's voice, blinking rapidly before focusing on her face, his game falling into his lap. "Yeah?"

"I need you to tell me just a few more things, okay?"

Henry bites his lip, looks to Emma, and then finally nods slowly at Kathryn once he sees Emma nod at him. "Okay. I'll try."

"What's your mom's name, Henry?"

Henry knows he could be smart and say Emma Swan, but he also knows from the bits and pieces of the conversation that he overheard that Emma is really freaking out about everything right now. Plus, he's fairly certain that enough time has passed that his mom is already on her way - if she’s coming. So he gives her a smile and offers up the name. "Regina. Regina Mills."

Kathryn scribbles on a legal pad. "Okay. Great. And what was your address in Boston?"

This time he takes longer to answer and it's not because he's trying to be funny or waste time or anything like that. It's honestly because he's trying to remember. He can only come up with a street name and an apartment number, but Kathryn tells him he did a good job as she writes everything down. Moving around so much makes it difficult to remember your address, Henry has found, especially because Mom is so protective over him. He goes to school and that's about it.

"Is there any way to reach your mother, Henry? A cell phone, email, anything?"

"No." Henry tells them and it isn't a lie. "She uses different ones all the time, so that they can't be traced back to her. She had just finished a job so she got rid of the prepaid cell phone she'd been using. She didn't tell me a new number yet. And she doesn't have access to a computer all the time, only if we go to the library or something."

"Alright. Thank you, Henry. I'm going to go talk to our sheriff, to see if he can get in touch with your mom, so we can get you back to her. Mayor Swan is going to take you back to her house so that you can get some food and maybe catch a nap for a while."

Henry's eyes light up. "I get to go home with you?"

"Only until we get in touch with your mom, Henry." Emma cautions quickly. "And then you're going back with her."

Henry smiles widely and nods. "Cool."

Emma glances at Kathryn again and the lawyer gives her a reassuring smile. "Go ahead. I'll take care of all of this."

"Thank you, Kathryn." Emma says again before she turns to Henry. "Alright kid, grab your backpack and come on." This time, she doesn't even correct herself. She's suddenly feeling very un-mayoral.

Kathryn watches the two leave, pulling out her cell phone and dialing a number before she starts walking. "Hey, it's Kathryn. You might want to head over to Emma's. She could probably use you right about now."

**

The knock at the door startles Emma and she feels her stomach begin to churn. This is it, she tells herself, I'm going to open that door and Henry's mother is going to be on the other side. She only hopes the woman isn't carrying a gun and looking for vigilante justice.

She pulls the door open and exhales all her breath at the sight of the woman behind it. "Mary Margaret."

"Hey. Kathryn called, said you needed me." The teacher says as she takes in the sight of Emma. She's changed from her pencil skirt and blazer into yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt, her go to comfort outfit.

Emma closes her eyes, feeling the tears she's been trying to keep at bay slip down her cheeks. "She was right." She murmurs as she falls into Mary Margaret's embrace, clinging to her tightly.

When Emma had shown up in Storybrooke a month after giving up Henry, she'd been a mess to say the least. Granny had given her a room at the B&B, as well as a job waitressing with Ruby. She'd met Mary Margaret when she came in every morning at 7:15 to try and catch David Nolan's eye. Mary Margaret had been sweet and understanding and so motherly (even though they were nearly the same age) that Emma had instantly latched on to her. They'd quickly become friends and Emma had opened up to Mary Margaret about everything that had happened to her - including giving up Henry. Up until a few hours ago when she'd admitted everything to Kathryn, Mary Margaret had been the only one to know the truth about her giving up her child for adoption.

"Hey, hey. Shh." Mary Margaret whispers against Emma's hair, rubbing her back gently. "What's going on?"

Emma pulls back and looks at Mary Margaret with watery eyes. "He's here, Mary Margaret. He's here."

Mary Margaret swallows, knowing without being told who 'he' is. Ruby and Ashley had both already called her asking if she knew why a little boy would be looking for Emma. She'd suspected and now it seems that her suspicions have been confirmed. "Oh, Emma." She hugs the mayor again. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs, in one of the extra rooms, sound asleep. I made him some grilled cheese and then showed him the room and he sprawled out on the bed with his comics and fell asleep." She blinks. "My son is sleeping upstairs."

A million questions fly through Mary Margaret's mind but she knows that Emma doesn't need to be bombarded with them right now. She'll get her answers later. Right now, her friend needs her. "And how are you handling that?"

"I feel like I'm losing my mind." Emma admits quietly.

"Oh Emma."

"Henry - his name is Henry - he says he needs my help. That I'm the only one who can help him. There's stuff going on with his mom, but he won't tell me what or how I'm supposed to help and… I don't know what to do Mary Margaret. I'm so scared."

"I know you are." Mary Margaret soothes. "But you haven't done anything wrong and from what Kathryn said, whatever legalities there are in this situation are being taken care of."

"It's not the legalities I'm worried about." Emma sighs. "Or at least not just the legalities. You should've seen him when he saw this place, Mary Margaret. His eyes went so wide and he couldn't believe it was all mine. He was running around like a little monkey and when he found the bedroom - I just couldn't help but think -"

"Emma." Mary Margaret's voice holds concern, even as it reprimands just a bit.

"I know I made the right choice all those years ago. I know it. I couldn't handle it then. But now I can't help but look around at my life and think - what if? I turned everything around. I'm the mayor, for crying out loud! Maybe the first year or so we would've struggled, but look at the life I could've given him. Maybe if I'd just kept him - if I'd just toughed it out -"

Mary Margaret reaches out and takes her hands, squeezing them tightly. "Sweetie, don't do that. Don't play the what if game." She brushes a lock of blonde hair back off Emma's tear stained cheeks. "It'll only drive you crazy. There's nothing you can do to change the past."

"I know that." Emma breathes. "I know that and I've come to terms with it. But when the past shows up on my doorstep -"

"It's hard. I know." Mary Margaret supplies with a small smile. "What about the future? If he sought you out because of a problem with his mother -"

Emma shakes her head. "He loves his mom. I don't think the problem is with her, so much as about her and her job. He seems worried about her. And I could never - I couldn't do that to either of them. I just - I just need her to get here and take him and let me get back to trying to be mayor of this town."

"Alright." Mary Margaret nods, pleased with Emma's response. "Let's go to the kitchen, have some hot chocolate and relax for a little, okay? Wait until Henry's mom shows up and take it all from there."

"But David -" Emma protests, even as she allows herself to be led into the kitchen that Mary Margaret uses more than her.

"David understands. Now let's get some hot chocolate in you. I'll even add extra whipped cream and cinnamon."

**

It isn't until she sees the large, white 'Welcome To Storybrooke' sign that Regina feels some of the panic abate. She's been trying to cling to her bail bondsperson persona, but as the miles on I-95 had increased with no sign of the town Joe had claimed Henry had taken the bus to, the worried mother had risen more and more. But now, finally, she's entering the town. Her son is here. And she will get him back.

She doesn't pay much attention to the sights she's passing. Unlike Henry, she doesn’t care what the little town looks like. All she cares about is finding Henry. So when she catches sight of the small 'bus stop' sign, she slams on the brakes, thankful that there's no other traffic on the road. She quickly pulls over and scans the area, taking in the sight of the diner. It's her best bet, so she grabs the picture of Henry and climbs out of the car.

A bell rings above the door as she enters and a young waitress in a rather skimpy outfit turns to look at her. "Wow, two in one day." She mutters as she comes forward.

"Excuse me?" Regina asks, her eyes scanning the diner looking for any signs of Henry.

"Oh, nothing." Ruby smiles and hands over a menu. "Can I get you something to drink while you decide?"

Regina pushes the menu aside. "Actually, I'm not here for food. I'm looking for someone. My son, Henry." She holds up the picture. "Have you seen him, by chance?"

Regina slides the picture across the counter to Ruby. It doesn't take more than a quick glance for the waitress to nod. "Oh sure! He was in here earlier today. Sweet kid. Really polite."

Regina's heart skips a beat. "You've seen him then? He's here?" She knows there's desperation in her voice, but she doesn't care.

"Yep." Ruby smiles. "I mean, he's not _here_ here, of course. But he's here in Storybrooke."

"Do you have any idea where he might be?" Regina practically begs.

"He was looking for Mayor Swan when he got here, so I'd check there first."

"The mayor?" Regina wracks her brain, trying to figure out why Henry would be looking for the mayor of a small town. What could he possibly have come here for? "Do you know where I can find him?"

Ruby laughs at that. "Her."

"What?" Regina asks, not comprehending anything but her need to find her son.

"Mayor Swan is a woman. Her, not him. She's probably home by now. 108 Mifflin Street is her address. It's a big, white house. Impossible to miss."

Regina pushes away from the counter. "Thank you." She calls over her shoulder as she rushes out of the diner.

"No problem." Ruby calls after her. "Well, Emma, you certainly are popular today, aren't you?" She mumbles to herself as she cleans off the counter.

**

Emma hears the car pull up out front and feels her stomach churn again. This time she knows it will be Henry's mother on the opposite side of the door. Mary Margaret senses her friend's fear and reaches out, giving her hand a squeeze.

"It's going to be okay. Kathryn and Graham have taken care of all the legal things. Henry is safe, well fed, and sound asleep. It's going to be okay."

"I hope you're right." Emma whispers as the frantic knocking starts on the door.

Mary Margaret rises and follows behind Emma, making sure to keep a safe distance, but still stay close as well.

Emma takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders, and opens the door. On the other side is a beautiful (but obviously distraught) woman. "Hello?" Emma manages.

Regina is taken aback by the woman who answers the door. She's not at all what she was expecting. "I need to speak to your mother." She blurts out.

Emma's eyes widen and a strangled laugh slips from her lips. She can't help it, although it's obvious Regina isn't amused. "What is so damn funny?"

Emma's hands come up in a gesture of surrender. "Nothing. I just - it's not my mother you're looking for, but me." She holds out a hand. "I'm Mayor Swan - Emma Swan. And you must be Regina Mills."

Again, Regina is taken aback. "You're the mayor?" Her tone easily reveals her disbelief that Emma could hold such a position.

Emma just nods. "That's me."

And then the other part of Emma's comment registers. "You know who I am?" She sounds suspicious and defensive.

"You're Henry's mother." Emma says, the words sounding strangled, but Regina doesn't even notice.

"Henry." She gasps out her son's name. "Where is he?"

"It's okay. He's safe. He's upstairs, sleeping."

Without even being invited in, Regina pushes in and rushes up the stairs. Emma watches her go for a moment before she follows as well. "Second door on the left." She calls out, knowing instinctively that Regina will rip her house apart looking for her son.

By the time Emma reaches the top of the stairs, Regina has already flung open the door to the room Henry is in and is on the bed, grabbing her son.

"Henry!" She sobs, hugging the just waking boy tightly, as though he'll disappear if she lets go.

"Mom?" Henry's voice is sleepy as he blinks to clear his eyes. When she comes into focus and he realizes she's really there, he hugs her tightly. "Mom!"

"Henry. Henry. Henry." Regina says his name over and over again as her hands move over his body as though looking for any injuries he may have gathered on his journey.

Watching them, Emma feels her heart clench. The little boy on the bed may be the child she gave birth to, but he is obviously Regina's son. And Regina is obviously his mother. She quietly moves back to the stairs, going down to join Mary Margaret again. She doesn't want to intrude on the family moment.

"Henry!" Regina gasps as she pulls back to look him over. "What on earth were you thinking? Why would you run away like that?"

Henry reads the panic and pain on his mother's face easily. She may be able to wear a mask in front of everyone else, but she can't keep it on in front of him. "I'm sorry, Mom." He says softly. "And I'm okay. I knew you'd find me. And I had to find her."

"I will always find you." Regina assures, fiercely. "But who did you have to find, Henry? And why couldn't you tell me about it?"

"Emma." Henry tells her, swallowing. "I found Emma. She's my birth mom."

**

"Emma, what's going on?" Mary Margaret asks as she sees Emma coming back down the stairs, a heartbroken look on her face. She remembers that look from the early days of Emma's stay in Storybrooke, when she'd been haunted by so many things.

"She's with Henry. And I didn't want to intrude."

Mary Margaret moves over to her. "Are you okay?"

"She's his mom." Emma murmurs the truth that seems to cut as it comes up her throat. "She's going to take him back."

"Oh Emma."

Emma shakes her head. "I'm fine." Mary Margaret shoots her a look that plainly says she doesn't believe her. "Okay, maybe I'm not fine. But I'll be okay. You should go on home."

Mary Margaret opens her mouth to protest, but at Emma's look she closes it again. "You'll call?" It's a question, but there's no denying the demand in the statement.

Emma inclines her head in agreement. Mary Margaret hugs her tightly before finally leaving the mansion.

It's not even a full minute after the door closes behind Mary Margaret that Regina comes bounding down the steps, her eyes blazing. Henry is trailing after her, protesting, but she will not be stopped.

"You're Henry's birth mother?" The words are flung down at her and Emma flinches just slightly at them.

She suddenly wishes she hadn't changed out of her skirt and blazer. Maybe if she was still in her mayoral clothes, she'd feel more confident. But she isn't and she doesn't, so she offers up a forced smile and a weak, "Hi."

"Mom! Stop!" Henry tries again, but Regina is already moving into Emma's personal space.

"You think that you can take him from me? You think that just because you're the mayor of some rinky dink little town that that gives you any right to -"

"Whoa. Whoa." Emma holds her hands up again, stepping back out of Regina's way. "Listen, I already talked to my lawyer and -"

The second after she says it, Emma realizes how that statement can be taken, but by then it's too late. Regina is back in her space again and if looks could kill, she would be dead.

"You have no right! No right! You gave him up! You threw him away! He is _my_ son!"

"No, no!" Emma says quickly, shaking her head. "I didn't mean - I'm not trying to -"

"Mom!" Henry calls again, grabbing Regina's arm. "Stop it."

Regina calms then, just slightly and Emma holds her hands up once again in a gesture of surrender. "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. I am not trying to take your son."

"Then why did you talk to your lawyer?" Regina obviously doesn't trust her and Emma can't blame her.

"Because I know the rules around the adoption. I wasn't to have contact with Henry. And I swear to you, until he showed up at my office, I didn't even know his name. I'm not trying to take him. You're his mother." Regina slowly begins to relax at Emma's words. "I was trying to get in touch with you - to get him back to you. I didn't want you to think that I was trying to kidnap him or anything, and my lawyer was the first person I could think of to contact. Our town sheriff has been in touch with the Boston PD, trying to get in touch with you. Henry wasn't exactly… forthcoming with information about you."

Regina looks down at her son, who is now staring at the floor. "Henry? Is that true?"

Henry only nods, his eyes still downcast.

"Henry, why wouldn't you tell them about me?"

Henry lifts his head, looking first at Emma and then over at his mother. Emma sees the sheen of tears covering his eyes. "I didn't want them to try to take me back." He whispers.

"What?" Regina sounds shattered at that moment and Emma suddenly wishes that she wasn't in the room. "Why wouldn't you want to come back?"

Henry swallows visibly and Emma thinks about slipping out of the room to give them privacy, but his next words stop her in her tracks. "I knew that if you wanted me, you'd come find me. And if you didn't, then I thought maybe Emma would keep me and -"

" _If_ I wanted you? Henry, what -"

"I heard you, Mom."

"What did you hear?" Regina asks, clearly not knowing what her son is referring to.

"I heard you tell that guy the other night about how hard it is to be a single mom. How much work it is. How sometimes you wish -" His little voice cracks and both Emma and Regina's hearts crack along with it. "How sometimes you wish you weren't."

Regina drops to her knees and Emma envies her that opportunity, because she feels her own buckling, but she forces herself to stay standing. Whatever problems are between Regina and Henry are their own. She needs to stay strong and stay out of it. She straightens her back, forcing herself to project the image of a mayor.

"Oh Henry, no." Regina reaches for him but he shakes his head and pulls back.

"So I went looking for information about my birth mom and then when I found out about Emma - about how she was the mayor and had a steady job and lived in a nice town - I thought that maybe she'd want me back for a while. And then you wouldn't have to worry about me and you could come find me later when you wanted me again."

Regina pulls Henry into her arms quickly, nearly crushing him with the force of her hug. "No. No, Henry. Don't you say things like that. I want you now. I _always_ want you. You are my son. Those things I said, I didn't mean them. I was just working. You know that sometimes I have to say things I don't mean when I'm working."

Henry smiles sadly and slips out of her arms. "You did mean what you said, Mom."

Tears slip down Regina's cheeks and Emma realizes that Henry has inherited her 'superpower' of knowing when someone is lying. She also knows that whatever Regina might have said, she never meant for her son to hear it or that she didn't want him.

"Henry," she says, her own voice sounding slightly choked up, so she clears her throat before continuing, "whatever your mom said, I'm sure that she did mean it."

"How dare you -" Regina starts, but Emma kneels down to face Henry, ignoring Regina's angry words.

"It is a really hard job to be someone's mom." She reaches out and gently brushes hair out of Henry's face, looking at his eyes and remembering him as the tiny baby she'd held in her arms. "There are some people who can't do it, who aren't cut out for it. People like me, when I had you. I wasn't always the mayor. I didn't always have a good life. And I knew that I wouldn't be able to be the mom you needed then. Honestly, I don't know if I'd be able to be the mom you needed now."

Henry nods slowly, showing he understands what she's saying so far.

"But then, there are other people who are made to be moms. People like your mom. They will do whatever it takes, no matter how hard it might be, even when sometimes they feel like they can't keep doing it. Especially if they're doing it all by themselves. But they do. Because they love their children so much and that wins over everything else." She smiles softly at him, wiping away tears in a motion that is slightly unsure.

Emma glances at Regina and then looks back at Henry. "I'm sure that everything your mom said about being a single mom was true. I'm sure it's hard and I'm sure that there are days when she wishes that she didn't have to do it alone. But you have to trust me on this when I tell you that no matter how hard it is, she loves you and she's in this for the long haul. She wouldn't have adopted you - chosen you - if she wasn't. And she wouldn't have come all this way to find you if she wasn't. Okay?"

Henry glances between the two women and then finally nods. "Okay, Emma."

"Okay." Emma smiles and then stands up again.

Regina also straightens and stares at Emma for a few moments before she looks back down at her son. "Well," she says, her voice taking on a hard edge, "thank you very much, Mayor Swan, for watching over my son until I could get here to bring him home."

"Of course." Emma says softly, aware that the woman is staking claim.

"We will be getting out of your way now."

"No!" Henry says vehemently, shaking his head. "We can't leave!"

"Henry." Regina cautions.

"No." Henry says again, rushing for Emma. "Don't make me leave! You said you'd help."

"Kid, I never -"

"Please, Emma, please."

Emma can see the pain on Regina's face and the worry on Henry's. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath before she opens them again. "Look, it's getting late, and you've both had long days. Why don't you stay for the night and then tomorrow -"

"Yes!" Henry exclaims at the same time that Regina says, "That won't be necessary."

"Miss Mills, please. I have more space than I know what to do with. And if you want, I can even go stay with my friend Mary Margaret."

Regina's eyebrow raises at that. "You'd leave two strangers alone in your house overnight?"

Emma shrugs. "I know who both of you are. I don't think you'd do anything crazy. And if you did, the sheriff is a friend so…"

"That won't be necessary."

"Mom! Please!" Henry begs.

"We will stay," Regina assures Henry softly, "but Mayor Swan does not need to leave. It is her home, after all."

Little arms wrap around Regina's waist tightly. "Thank you!"

"And we leave first thing in the morning, Henry. No arguments."

Henry looks at his mother and can see the determination there. She's angry and hurt about everything but she's still doing this because she knows he wants to. He nods his agreement. He'll just have to get to Emma quickly.

"Let me show you up to the guest rooms." Emma says quietly, trying to break the tension.

**

She's in her home office, staring out at the apple trees that grow in her back yard, when she hears the door open. She turns, unsurprised to see Henry slipping into the room.

"Henry," she uses the 'mom' voice again, "it's late. You should be sleeping."

"I know, but I had to talk to you about Operation Cobra."

Emma's eyebrows raise. "Operation Cobra?"

"I don't want to leave, Emma. And I need your help." Henry says as he climbs up on the sofa that sits by the fireplace in the office.

Emma moves to sit down beside him with a sigh. "Kid, I can't help you here. I have no rights. And you know that your mom loves you. So please -"

"No, Emma, I don't mean like that. I mean - I want you to convince my mom that she should stay here in Storybrooke too."

"What?"

Henry gets quiet then and she watches as he fidgets for a bit before he looks back up at her. "We move all the time. We never stay in one place."

Emma knows that feeling.

"And my mom's job is really dangerous."

"Bail bondsperson?" Emma knows that Henry had said Regina had to go all over the place to track people down, but she still can't imagine that helping to put up money for people's bail is that dangerous.

"People skip out on bail a lot more than you'd think." Henry says, sounding much older than ten. "Mom has to go after them. And a lot of times they don't want to be found."

Emma exhales as she realizes what Henry is telling her. Regina is, essentially, a bounty hunter. "How often does your mom come home hurt?"

"A lot." Henry whispers, the tears back in his eyes. "Please, Emma, can't you do something? I don't want her to get hurt anymore."

"What do you want me to do? How do you think that I can help?" Emma honestly doesn't have the first idea about what to do in this situation.

"I don't know." Henry nearly wails. "You're the mayor. Can't you give her a job or something? Then we could stay here and we wouldn't have to move and she'd be safe and I could see you, too."

Emma sighs and runs her fingers through her hair. "Henry, it's not that simple. And even if it were - I gave you up in a closed adoption. The rules are that we're not even supposed to know about each other, let alone see each other."

Henry frowns at that, getting off the sofa. "I don't want her to be hurt anymore. Please, Emma. You're my only hope."

"Kid, I -"

"You're my mother! You're supposed to help me!" He cries and it shatters her already cracked heart into a million pieces. She's spent ten years healing and building up walls around her heart and herself and in the span of one day, Henry has managed to knock all of that to the ground.

"Henry." She tries, but he's already out of the room and Emma's eyes slip closed, tears sliding down her cheeks. She drops her head into her hands and allows the sobs to come.

**

Regina wakes to the scent of something delicious wafting up from the floor below. It is the first sign that she is not at her home if it could even be called that in Boston. The second is the feeling of the bed beneath her. Unlike the hard and lumpy mattress on her cramped single bed, this mattress is deliciously soft, yet firm. The Egyptian cotton sheets felt wonderful against her skin and she considers just rolling back over and going back to sleep for a while.

But she can't do that. She needs to get up and get Henry and get out of this place. So she climbs out of the comfortable bed, her body aching in protest, and pulls yesterday's clothes back on.

She checks the room next to hers where Henry had slept the night before, but it is, unsurprisingly, empty. At least his backpack is still laying at the foot of the bed. With a frown, she heads down the stairs and into the kitchen where the delicious scent is coming from.

Emma is standing at the stove, cooking breakfast of some kind. She is wearing an apron over a pants suit that makes her look every bit the mayor she is. The night before, Regina couldn't imagine it, but now it's easy to see Emma's authority. The clothes really do help make the woman.

Emma turns on her high heels, taking in the sight of Regina. "Good morning." She says with a smile. Regina does not answer. Instead, she looks at the stove and counter tops.

"I made breakfast, if you're hungry. Apple cinnamon waffles and bacon." Emma offers by way of explanation. "Henry asked for them, so…"

"Where is my son?" Regina asks, feeling her anger rising already. The woman was obviously trying to sway Henry by spoiling him and giving him whatever he could possibly ask for.

"He's outside." Emma nods her head towards the large windows and the glass doors of the kitchen that look out onto the backyard. "Picking some apples for you both to enjoy on your car ride home."

Regina moves over to the doors, taking in the sight of Henry, happily pulling apples down from the trees and tossing them into the basket. Her hand reaches for the door, ready to go gather him and leave this place, but Emma's voice stops her.

"Miss Mills, please, at least eat some breakfast before you go. Have a cup of coffee or something."

Regina turns to protest, but her stomach growls, effectively shutting down any argument she might've given. "Fine." She huffs, moving over to grab the plate that Emma has already set out for her.

"I hope the waffles are okay. Henry seemed to enjoy them, but ten year old boys tend to eat whatever you put in front of them… I would imagine." Emma frowns a little as she tends to the bacon frying on the stove. "It's been a while since I made waffles from scratch though. I was an absolute disaster in the kitchen when I first moved to Storybrooke. I probably would've starved to death if it wasn't for Granny teaching me how to cook." She pauses for a breath and looks at Regina, who is watching her with something that looks vaguely like amusement. At least it's not open hostility anymore. "And now I'm rambling. Sorry. Shutting up now."

"Henry does that when he gets nervous." Regina comments softly.

"Yeah?" Emma asks, trying to keep her voice from breaking. She focuses on flipping the bacon.

Regina nods her head. "I take it that it runs in your family?"

Emma's hand stills, a piece of bacon dangling from the turner. "Oh. I, uh" she clears her throat, "wouldn't know." She shakes herself, flipping the piece of bacon and jumping back a bit as grease pops at her. "My parents… left me on the side of a highway the day I was born, so…"

Regina's eyes widen at the confession. "Madam Mayor, I am sorry. I didn't mean"

Emma turns then, a dazzling smile on her lips, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Don't be sorry. If they could only see me now, huh?"

Silence descends on the kitchen then, neither woman knowing what to say after Emma's confession. Regina samples the waffles and can't stop the small moan of pleasure that slips from her lips at the taste. The waffles are delicious, which just makes Regina hate Emma even more. Is there anything Henry's birth mother can't do?

Emma moves the frying pan off the burner and begins to clean up the kitchen, her eyes darting back and forth from Henry outside to Regina still eating the waffles in her kitchen. The little boy's words have been echoing in her head ever since he left her office last night. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and even after she'd taken her morning run around the town, she still can't shake them.

_"You're my mother! You're supposed to help me!"_

"Miss Mills?" She finally ventures, once Regina's plate is almost clean and she knows her limited window is just about closed.

Regina looks up at her and Emma feels her stomach flip. This shouldn't be hard. She's the mayor of the town, for god's sake. Bringing up the idea of Regina and Henry staying in Storybrooke shouldn't scare her so much. But she's already way in over her head here. Still, what's the worst that can happen? Regina's going to take Henry either way.

She clears her throat and stands up a bit straighter, looking Regina directly in the eye. "I think that you and Henry should stay here in Storybrooke."

Regina's eyebrow raises. "Excuse me?"

Emma isn't willing to back down though. "I think that you and Henry should stay here in Storybrooke. It's a great town, safe and -"

Regina pushes herself up so that she's standing at full height. There's a fire in her eyes. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, _Madam Mayor_ , but Henry is my son and he is going home with me."

Emma watches as Regina moves toward the kitchen door and something snaps inside of her. "Oh, and what home would that be? Because from what I hear, it changes every week or so."

The action is so quick that before she can even blink, Regina is in her face, gripping her arm and shoving her back into the stove angrily. "You know nothing about it! Nothing!"

Emma winces at the pain that shoots up her spine when her back hits the stove and is well aware of the heat radiating off of the burner she'd been using earlier. "I know more about it than you think," Emma tells the other woman, "and I would thank you to kindly let me go, _Miss Mills_."

At Emma's tone, Regina does release her grip, moving back to allow the mayor to step away from the stove. But the fire does not diminish from her eyes. "You think I don't see what you're doing here? You think I'm too stupid to realize that you're setting me up so that you can take my son away from me? Trying to prove that I'm a bad mother, that you're so much better because you live in this perfect house in this perfect little town with this perfect job."

"Oh for god's -" Emma huffs, rolling her eyes. "My life is far from perfect, dear. And I do not want to take Henry from you. There isn't any vendetta here. The only reason I'm even doing this is for Henry, because he asked me to. But I'm about to just give up the ghost and let you take him back."

"Henry asked you - what are you talking about?" Regina demands, making sure to stay in Emma's personal space. She's not letting up on this.

"Why do you think he ran away and came to me in the first place? Henry's worried about you. He's petrified that one day you aren't going to come home. And he thinks that I can somehow do something about it."

"What?"

"The kid isn't dumb, Miss Mills. He sees that you're coming home from work injured." Emma gestures to the bruises that are still visible on her arms. Suddenly Regina wishes she would've pulled her leather jacket on before coming downstairs. "It's not a far leap for a kid's brain to think that you might not come home one day. Plus, as if that weren't worrisome enough, you're constantly moving around. He's got no sense of stability or -"

"Henry's life is perfectly stable!"

Emma raises an eyebrow at Regina. "Don't lie to me, Miss Mills. I can tell when people are lying to me."

A bit of the anger goes out of Regina at that, but she refuses to back down. "Okay. Fine. So maybe it isn't as stable as it was before Dan -" Regina's voice catches for a moment, "before my husband died. But I am doing the best that I can to take care of my son and if you think that you can look down your nose at me for that, you got another thing coming lady."

Emma softens at Regina's words. "I'm not looking down my nose at you. Believe me. I - I am just trying to help Henry - and you - here. That's all."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to help us?" Regina sounds tired and confused, all the fight drained out of her now.

Emma swallows before she admits what she's only ever told one other person before. "Henry was… he was born…" she closes her eyes and then opens them again, locking her eyes on Regina's. "I had him while I was in jail."

Regina's eyes widen, but she manages not to say anything.

"So I know what it's like to hit rock bottom. And to think that there's no way out. After I gave him up and I got out of jail… I thought that was it, you know? I thought it was all over. But then I showed up here and the people took me in and gave me a chance. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now, I can tell you that. But they helped me - not by giving me handouts, but by supporting me and helping me when I needed it. And that's what I want to do with you. Because you need it and because Henry needs it. And for the first time since I gave him up, I can actually give him what he needs."

"Mayor Swan -"

"One week." Emma cuts her off. "Just stay one week. See what you think. I'll stay away from you and Henry if that's what you want. And if at the end of the week you don't think this is the place for you, then you can take him and go and I won't try to follow or find you or have any other contact with him again. I promise."

"One week? And you'll stay away from Henry?" Regina's eyebrow lifts.

Emma nods. "One week. I'll have my friend Kathryn draw up a legal agreement if you want."

Regina inclines her head in acknowledgement of Emma's comment, before she frowns. "And where, pray tell, am I to stay during this week? What am I to do for work?"

Emma almost says that they're welcome to stay here, but she stops herself. "Granny's got a bed and breakfast that's nice. You could stay there. Or Kathryn lives in a great apartment building, and I think there's some openings there." That's more of a long term situation, and they both know it, so Emma glosses over the suggestion and continues answering Regina's other question. "As for work, I know Granny could always use help at the diner."

Regina's nose wrinkles at that, but she doesn't comment. Emma smiles. "Or, if that's not really your speed, my sheriff is in need of a deputy. It's not exactly like what you're used to - much calmer, I'd think -" and safer, but she doesn't say that, "but your expertise would be helpful. If you're as good at finding runaway dogs as you are runaway people, you'd be doing us all a huge favor."

It's at that moment that Henry comes back into the kitchen, his basket full of apples. "Check it out, Mom! Emma let me pick some apples to take with us." He grins, holding up the fruits of his labor.

Regina looks at him, his wide smile, and thinks of what Emma has said.

_Henry's worried about you. He's petrified that one day you aren't going to come home._

"One week." She says softly, her eyes meeting Emma's.

"One week." Emma smiles back at her, trying to look reassuring. She has no real right to be reacting at all to this news, let alone trying to convey that Regina has made the right decision, but it's for Henry and she can't seem to help herself.

"One week, what?" Henry asks, looking between the two.

Regina takes a deep breath and then turns to look at Henry. "I have decided that we will remain here in Storybrooke for one week."

"Really?" Henry rushes over and hugs her tightly. "That's awesome, Mom!"

Emma watches them with a smile, but when Henry pulls away from Regina and plows into her, hugging her just as tightly, she shifts uncomfortably in his embrace. "Listen, Henry, I'm really glad that you're staying for the week, but -"

"But," Regina interrupts, before Emma can tell Henry that they won't be able to see each other, "Mayor Swan needs to get to work. After all, she has a whole town to run. And we need to go to the bed and breakfast to see about getting a room. You'll be able to see her later."

"Yeah?" Henry and Emma wear matching expressions of questioning mixed with hope and Regina feels her heart clench. This could backfire horribly and cause her to lose the only person that matters to her anymore, but seeing Henry happy is enough to make her throw caution to the wind - a least a bit. She will speak to Emma about a legal agreement later. She won't be giving up her son without one hell of a fight. And Emma Swan may be mayor of this town, but she's never come up against Regina Mills before.

For now, she nods her head and offers her son a small smile. She pretends she doesn't see Emma mouth the words 'thank you' as she gives Henry's shoulder a small squeeze.

And she doesn't see Henry's widening grin as he looks between the two women, more than pleased with the outcome of his little adventure so far.

Phase 1 is complete. Now it's time to start planning phase 2.  



	2. Chapter 2

The week goes by quickly for Henry, who loves every minute of his time in Storybrooke - a fact that he is quick to point out to his mother at every opportunity. He's determined to make her want to stay and he figures the best way to do that is to show her just how great the town is.

For Regina, the week drags on. Henry may love that she's got a job where she's home for dinner every night (and it is a nice perk, she has to admit) but she finds herself more concerned about their money situation and how they're going to pay their bills when they go back to Boston. Plus, as Emma had pointed out, being a deputy in a small town is 'much calmer' than her former job. She misses the thrill of it all, even if she doesn't miss the aches and pains.

But Henry seems to be thriving here, a fact that she can't overlook. On Tuesday, Mrs. Nolan offers for Henry to come with her to school and visit with her class to see what it would be like if he started up there. Henry is quick to agree and when he comes home, he is filled to the brim with things to tell her.

He talks the whole way through dinner, dessert, and his allotted television time about how great school was and how they had made birdhouses with Mrs. Nolan and next week they were going to be making a volcano and wasn't that so cool? He also chatters on endlessly about his new friends, Ava and Nicholas who are twins and have invited him to come play with them after school tomorrow at the awesome playground Emma had installed for the children last year, and Paige who has invited him over to join her and her father for tea. It's the first time Regina ever remembers Henry talking about having friends.

He also talks endlessly about how nice everyone in town is and how he loves eating at Granny's because Ruby usually slips him a piece of pie or a cookie on the house. He shares his excitement about how Storybrooke has great traditions like fairs in the summer and a carnival for Halloween and something called Miners’ Day that Regina doesn't understand in the least.

He steers away from the topic of Emma, but can't hide his joy when Regina agrees to have dinner at the mayor's home on Thursday. He smiles the entire way through as he regales Emma with stories of his time at school and his new friends and Emma listens with rapt attention. She also questions Regina about her job, to which the new deputy answers as best she can. It isn't a bad job, by any means. But when the highlight of her day is chasing Pongo away from the dumpsters at Granny's, she finds it hard to get excited.

Storybrooke is, she has to admit, an idyllic little town. The perfect place to raise a child and have a family, but in spite of that reason - or perhaps because of it - Regina cannot bring herself to like the place and much to Henry's dismay, she informs him that they'll be going back to Boston at the end of the week.

He begs her to reconsider, but she is resolute, and on Friday evening, she heads to Town Hall to inform Emma of her decision.

 

**

 

Ashley isn't at her desk when Regina arrives and for a moment, she wonders if she hadn't missed the mayor at work and will have to go to her home to speak with her. But then she catches sight of the light under the mayor's office door and realizes that the woman is still there. Good. It'll be easier to do this here, in a more formal setting than it would be to do it in the house where she'd already revealed far too much of herself.

Regina strides over to the door and knocks, waiting until she hears the mayor's call of "come in" before opening it.

"Burning the midnight oil, Madam Mayor?" She asks as she ventures into the office, a place she hasn't been yet.

Emma looks up from a stack of paperwork and offers a tired smile. "Something like that. Although it is only just after six, so I still have a ways to go before I turn into a pumpkin. But, what can I do for you, Miss Mills?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Henry and I are leaving tomorrow. We stayed the week but it just isn't working out."

Emma opens her mouth, then closes it with a frown. She had done what she'd promised Henry she'd do - she'd tried to help. She'd given Regina a chance for something different, but the other woman obviously wasn't content in the small town. Emma didn't blame her for that. It hadn't been her cup of tea at first either. She couldn't argue or fight with her about the decision. She had no rights when it came to Henry and she'd promised Regina that once the week was up, she could take Henry and she wouldn't try to stop her.

"Right." Emma's voice breaks just the tiniest bit on the word. "Well then," She spins her chair away from Regina to hide the tears that are forming in her eyes and focuses on the filing cabinet behind her desk. She rummages through the top drawer for a moment to calm her nerves before pulling out a folder. She shuffles through the papers in the folder, checking things over before giving a small nod and spinning back to face Regina. "You'll probably want this."

Regina takes the folder from Emma's outstretched hand and looks over the papers inside, trying her best to ignore the haunted and heartbroken look on the mayor's face. It's a legal document, reoutlining the terms of the adoption and assuring that Emma will not try to have any contact with Henry. It is signed by Emma and her lawyer, as well as a notary.

"There's one on file here at Town Hall and then I figured you'd want to file that one yourself in Boston or wherever it is you're going."

Regina looks up at her. "Thank you, Madam Mayor."

Emma nods and stands, moving around the desk to walk Regina out of the building. "I'm sorry that Storybrooke wasn't what you were looking for," she says softly as she takes the lead, walking down the stairs.

"It's a nice little town. It's just - not for me."

Emma bites her lip to stop from asking if it's for Henry. She cannot go there. Instead she swallows as her fingers close around the doorknob at the bottom of the steps. "Would you mind if I came with you to tell Henry goodb -"

She doesn't get to finish the question, let alone hear Regina's response, because as she pulls the door open, a fireball explodes, throwing both women backwards. She feels her body slam into the steps, Regina's just above hers on the landing.

Smoke and heat begin to pour into the stairwell, flames licking the door and inching towards them. She coughs and pushes herself up, trying to move, but it's then that she realizes that there's something trapping her legs. She can't quite make it out through the smoke, but it's debris of some kind - maybe from the door - and it's got her legs pinned quite nicely. "Shit. Miss Mills, are you okay?"

There's no answer and Emma spins quickly, taking in Regina on the landing. She's sprawled in the same position she was no doubt thrown in, but she's managed to push herself up. She's not moving though, instead, she's staring at the flames with wide eyes. It's like she's a statute, frozen in time.

"Miss Mills! Miss Mills!" Emma calls as she continues to try and wiggle her legs out, but nothing is working. "Regina!" She finally calls, straining her throat as she yells.

That seems to snap Regina out of her haze, at least a little, as her eyes fly down to Emma. "Oh god."

"Are you alright?"

"I - I -"

"Regina, I can't move." Emma says, glancing back at the fire that is getting closer with each second. The smoke is already stealing oxygen from the air. She can't move and Regina is still frozen in fear or something else that Emma doesn't understand. "You have to get out of here. Regina, you have to go! Get out of here!"

She will not allow them both to burn to death. She won't allow Henry's fears to come true. He needs his mother, so she needs to get Regina out of this damn building. The fire station is just across from Town Hall. Hopefully they've already seen the fire and are on their way, but if not, Regina needs to get out now, while she still can.

Regina moves then, her eyes still impossibly wide, pulling the debris off of Emma's legs. Even with the piece gone, Emma knows she won't be able to stand on her leg. There's a shooting pain coming up from her ankle that tells her as much. She grabs Regina's arm. "Forget it. Regina, you need to leave me. You need to go. Now!"

Regina looks ready to protest but Emma shakes her head. "For Henry. Go."

"Henry." Regina whispers and then quickly pulls out of Emma's hold, jumping through the flames.

Emma watches her go with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She fights against the part of her brain that tells her that she'll never get to say goodbye to Henry now, as she tries to crawl up the stairs. If she can get away from the flames, maybe the firefighters will be able to put out the fire and get her, or pull her from a window or something.

She's nearly at the landing when she hears the sound of a fire extinguisher and turns to see Regina, moving back through the cloud of fumes and smoke. Her heat skips a beat at the sight.

"Come on." Regina mumbles as she wraps a strong arm around Emma's waist, hauling her up and holding her tightly against her body. Emma is amazed at the strength of the woman, although she guesses she shouldn't be - not with what Henry has told her of Regina's job.

They're both coughing heavily by the time they make it outside, and Emma's hobbling on one foot, sagging against Regina. Flashes burst in their faces and Emma growls at the photographer. "Not now, Sidney."

"But Madam Mayor -"

"Go, Sidney!" She barks, trying to stay upright as Regina lets go of her. As she'd suspected, firefighters are already on the scene, doing their best to control the blaze.

"Madam Mayor, are you alright?" Graham asks as he jogs over to them two women, a paramedic in tow.

Emma shrugs them off, even through her coughing. "I'm fine. Really. Thanks to you." She turns to look at Regina, who is still staring at the burning building with a look Emma can't understand.

Graham seems to notice it as well. "I'm going to need to get statements from both of you. Why don't I take yours, Regina, while the paramedic looks over Emma?"

"Oh. Uh. Yes." Regina nods, tearing her eyes away from the building and moving away with Graham.

Emma waves the paramedic away. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

"Madam Mayor, you need to get to the hospital to get your leg looked at. Not to mention that you need oxygen. Please, come with me over to the ambulance so we can get started checking you out."

"I will go to the hospital on my own. I am fine." Emma says and her tone leaves no room for argument. She will not be fussed over. She just needs a moment to catch her breath.

The paramedic walks away shaking his head and Emma closes her eyes, taking in deep breaths, fighting off nausea at the smell of smoke permeating the air.

"Emma!"

She turns at the sound of the scream to see Henry pushing through the crowd and scrambling under the barricade before anyone can stop him.

"Whoa. Henry." She stumbles back from the force of him slamming into her. "It's okay."

"Where's my mom? Emma, where's my mom?"

It's then, in the glow of the flames and the lights from the rescue vehicles, that she sees how ghostly white and streaked with tears his face is.

She drops to her knees, ignoring the shooting pain in her leg, and puts her hands on his shoulders. "She's over giving a statement to Sheriff Graham. She's right there." Emma points to the spot where Regina is talking to the sheriff.

At the sight of his mother, the little boy begins to sob, great gasping sobs that wrench Emma's heart.

"Henry. Oh, Henry. Shh. Hey, it's okay." She pulls him against her, holding his tiny shaking body.

"She's okay? You're sure she's okay?" He keeps mumbling between sobs, clinging tightly to her.

"Yeah. She's fine. She's fine."

Henry pulls back then, his eyes wild as he looks at her. "And you're okay?"

"I hurt my leg a little, but other than that, I'm fine."

"Emma." He sobs again, clinging tightly to her. "Please don't die, Emma. Please don't die."

"Don't - Henry?" She pulls back, searching his face. "Why would you think that I'm going to die?"

"Because my dad did."

**

"Well, Mayor Swan, it looks like you've got a sprained ankle." Dr. Whale tells her after they've run a battery of tests and forced her to keep an oxygen mask on for far longer than she'd like. "Luckily, it's just a Grade I sprain, so healing time shouldn't be too long. We'll get some ice on it now and then wrap and elevate it in a bit."

Emma frowns at the prognosis, but she isn't surprised by it. She is surprised that it's only a Grade I sprain, but she's happy too. Less healing time is important. "And then I can go home?"

Dr. Whale frowns. "I'd like to keep you overnight, actually."

"For a sprained ankle?" Emma's on the verge of whining.

"You inhaled a lot of smoke."

"And you've given me plenty of oxygen already." Emma tries, but Dr. Whale is immovable on this.

"Madam Mayor, your safety is my top priority. I'll release you first thing in the morning, but for now, I want to be able to monitor your condition."

Emma opens her mouth to argue more, but is cut off by Mary Margaret, who had arrived at the hospital with Kathryn shortly after she herself had. "Dr. Whale is right, Emma. Your health is the most important thing right now."

"Yes, Mom." Emma grouses.

"We'll get you moved up to a private room in just a few moments, Madam Mayor."

"Thank you, Dr. Whale." Emma says, trying her hardest to actually sound thankful.

**

Kathryn and Mary Margaret are just getting her settled in when the door to her room bursts open and Henry comes rushing in.

"Emma!" The panic is back, Emma notes just before Henry throws himself on her.

"Henry!" Regina scolds from the doorway.

"Whoa, kid, it's okay." Emma embraces him for a moment before she gently pushes him back to look at him.

"They said you had to stay overnight."

Emma offers him a reassuring smile as he slips from the bed to stand beside her. "Dr. Whale is just being cautious because I'm the mayor." She rolls her eyes. "I just have a small sprain, that's all. I would've signed myself out against doctor's orders, but my moms over here wouldn't let me." Emma motions to Kathryn and Mary Margaret with her thumb. They both laugh. "Speaking of moms," she looks up at Regina who is hanging around just inside the door, "what was your prognosis, Miss Mills?"

"Clean bill of health. They kept me on the oxygen for a while, to be safe." Regina admits softly.

Emma smiles. "I'm glad you're okay."

Regina looks like she's about to say something when the door once again flies open and Graham comes through nearly hitting Regina. "Madam Mayor -"

He stops instantly when he realizes that Emma isn't alone in her room. Emma looks at him with a question in her gaze, but he refuses to meet her eyes. Instead he mumbles an apology to his deputy.

"Sheriff? What is it?" Emma can tell there's something he wants to say, as his eyes dart around taking in each person in the room. "Graham?"

His eyes fly back to hers. He clears his throat and shakes his head. "Nothing important, Madam Mayor."

She raises an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. "If it wasn't important, then why did you come over here?"

"Madam Mayor, I -"

"Graham, we've been friends for nearly ten years. I think while I'm lying in a hospital bed, you can call me Emma. And you can say whatever it is you need to say. There's no one here that I'd hide anything from."

Regina's eyebrow raises at that, but she doesn't speak.

"The fire inspector has finished his initial inspection of Town Hall."

"And? What did he find?"

Graham looks at everyone in the room before he focuses back on Emma. "He believes that it's possible that the fire didn't start on its own."

Kathryn and Mary Margaret both draw in deep breaths.

"Wait, you mean someone set the fire on purpose?" Henry asks, his face contorting as he tries to process the information.

"It's a possibility."

"But who would do that? And why?"

Emma and Graham share a look. Emma is well aware of what Graham is thinking. Her eyes warn him not to say anything.

"Someone who knew that the mayor would be at Town Hall, presumably by herself, and who wants her out of the way." Graham says, his voice almost a growl.

"Oh god. You don't think -" Mary Margaret's eyes go wide.

"Mary Margaret." Emma hisses, her eyes cutting to Henry.

"I do think that. Yes." Graham nods in the affirmative.

"Think what?" Henry asks.

"Graham, that is enough." Emma's voice is low.

"Emma, you and I both know that he wants your job. He won't win against you, but if you're dead -"

"What?" Henry gasps. "Someone's trying to kill you?"

"Enough!" Emma's voice echoes in the suddenly still room. Her eyes flash almost dangerously as they lock on Graham. "I would thank you to leave, Sheriff, and do not come back until you have concrete evidence of who set the fire - if anyone even did."

"Emma -" He protests, knowing that they'll never find evidence to tie anyone to the fire.

"Go. _Now_." Her demand is obvious and Graham turns and leaves, mumbling under his breath as he goes.

"Emma, if he's right -" Mary Margaret says, leaning over towards her.

"He isn't." Emma shakes her head.

"Emma -" Kathryn tries.

"He isn't right. Now we all need to stop this foolishness. The fire was caused by faulty wiring. That's all."

"And if it wasn't?" Regina has seen her share of shady things in the past, and even though her heart races just thinking of it, the way the fire had exploded that door wasn't natural.

"It was."

"Emma, is the sheriff right? Does someone want you dead?"

Emma shakes her head and offers Henry a smile. "No, Henry. This is a small town. I'm sure your mom can tell you that working in the sheriff's department - or anywhere else in town - can get boring after a while. This is the first exciting thing that's happened here in a while. So everyone just got a little over excited. But it was just an accidental fire. That's all."

Henry stares at her as though he's afraid she'll suddenly disappear. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure." Emma affirms. "And I'm also sure that it is way past my bedtime - and yours, mister - so you should all head out and let me catch up on my beauty rest, huh?"

Henry opens his mouth to protest that it isn't that late at all but Regina beats him to it. "Mayor Swan is right Henry, it's getting late and I'm sure she's tired. We need to leave her to her rest. But maybe we can stop in the cafeteria on the way home and get some ice cream."

"Hey! No fair!" Emma complains good naturedly from the bed, still trying to keep up appearances that everything's fine.

Henry glances between his two mothers, looking almost conflicted. "Mom?"

"I guess I could bring a dish up for Mayor Swan, if Mrs. Nolan and Ms. Connor don't mind watching you for a few minutes."

"Of course we don't mind." Mary Margaret smiles at Henry, before leaning over to give Emma a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

Kathryn repeats the gesture, minus the kiss. "Call me when Dr. Whale gives you the okay to go home tomorrow. I'll come spring you, since Mary Margaret will be at school."

Henry squeezes her tightly and plants a quick kiss to her cheek. "Bye, Emma." He whispers into her hair.

She hugs him back just as tightly, savoring the embrace, knowing that it is likely their last before she kisses his temple quickly. "Goodbye, Henry." She whispers, trying her best to mask her tears.

She doesn't let them fall until she's alone in the room.

**

Regina places the dish of ice cream down on the small tray table in front of Emma. The mayor is lying back, her eyes closed, but she smiles gently and offers a soft "thank you". Regina looks over her (ignoring the tear tracks she can plainly see) before she settles into the chair next to Emma's bed, never making a sound.

"You lied." Regina's voice is quiet in the room when she finally speaks, barely audible above the sounds of the hospital around them.

Emma's eyes open and she looks with surprise to where Regina is still sitting next to her.

"You lied to Henry."

"Well," Emma exhales slowly, "there's one more reason why I'll never be able to take Henry from you. You can tell the court I'm a liar."

"Emma!" Regina hisses.

Emma pushes herself up into a sitting position, looking at Regina. "I protected Henry. Isn't that what mothers are supposed to do?"

"You're not -" Regina begins automatically, but she manages to stop herself. Emma still grimaces as she lets her eyes go closed again. "What were you protecting Henry from?"

Emma just shrugs. "The truth, I suppose." She opens her eyes to look at Regina. "You're leaving tomorrow and I don't want him worrying about me. I don't want him thinking of me at all." The last part is barely a whisper, but Regina hears it, because how could she not?

"So you think someone is trying to kill you?" Regina says after the silence has become too loud.

"Graham thinks someone is trying to kill me."

"But you believe him - about the fire and the possibility that someone wants you dead."

"I wish I didn't." Emma says. "But, yes, to answer your question, I guess I believe that there's a possibility that someone wants me… out of the way."

"And you know who this person is."

"After our former mayor died, we held an election. There was only one name on the ballot."

"Yours."

"No. Mr. Gold's."

"Mr. Gold?"

"He owns most of the town and is… not the nicest of characters. But he's been eying the mayor seat forever. And with his name on the ticket, no one else wanted to run. But no one wanted him as their mayor either. It was Mary Margaret - although she'll never admit it - who started off the idea of me for mayor. And god knows why, but it spread like wildfire, and before I knew it, I'd won the election by write in votes. Gold wasn't exactly pleased with the outcome."

"And with you out of the way…"

Emma nods. "The stupid thing is, I never wanted to be mayor. I never wanted anyone to need me, to depend on me. But Storybrooke wanted me. They needed me. And I didn't want to let them down."

"And now you might get killed for them."

For a long time, they're quiet, mulling over the truth that Regina has just spoken - the truth that neither of them wants to admit is true.

"I didn't want to upset Henry any more." Emma admits after the silence has stretched and worn thin between them.

"What?"

"That's the real reason I lied. I didn't want him to get any more upset than he already was, and I knew Graham talking about someone trying to kill me would just make things worse."

"Things? What things?"

Emma chews her bottom lip while she mulls over the words she needs to say. "Henry was upset earlier. He was very worried about you and me. And… he begged me not to die… like his dad did."

Regina's eyes close tightly against those words and she lets out a shaky breath. "Oh god."

"I'm sorry, Regina, I -"

Regina waves a hand, cutting off whatever else Emma was going to say - not that the blonde is all too sure of what that was.

Emma aches to reach out to Regina, but she looks lost in her thoughts, frozen, like she had been in the fire. _Oh_. Emma blinks hard as everything falls into place. "It was a fire, wasn't it?"

Regina nods, fighting back tears. She will not cry in front of Emma Swan, no matter what has happened today.

Emma swallows all the platitudes and sympathies that threaten to spill out of her mouth. Regina has probably had far too many of those and there's no way she wants them from Emma of all people. So she keeps her mouth shut and waits.

"Daniel was working as a farm hand when we met. But he wanted to be more, to do more. He wanted to make a difference. After we got married and adopted Henry, he started training to become a firefighter." The words are choked.

"You don't have to -"

"There was an apartment fire. A family was inside. They had a little girl Henry's age. Daniel went in and -"

Emma does reach over then and grasps Regina's hand, squeezing it tightly to offer whatever comfort she can. Regina stares at their entwined hands uncomprehendingly, but she doesn't pull away.

"He got them all out. He had just handed the little girl off to a firefighter waiting to carry her down the ladder to safety when the roof collapsed."

"Jesus." Emma whispers, everything inside of her aching for Henry and Regina and what they'd been through.

"They brought me his hat. I didn't want to believe it was his but - he, uh, he had a picture of me and Henry that he carried in it. It was burnt around the edges but - it was us."

"Oh god. Regina."

Regina clears her throat and shakes her head. "That's why Henry was upset."

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"You had nothing to do with the fire." Regina says and Emma isn't sure which fire she's referring to. She's not sure Regina is either. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

"Regina -"

Regina stands and pulls her hand away. She turns so she is facing Emma, her eyes dry. "There is nothing to be sorry for, Madam Mayor. I'm glad that you're okay. Goodbye."

Emma watches her go, knowing this will likely be the last time she sees the other woman. "Regina? Thank you. For everything. Tell Henry -" she stops, unable to say the words. She cannot ask this of Regina, not now. She shakes her head. "Goodbye."

Regina nods and quickly exits the hospital room.

It isn't until she's back at Granny's, with Henry tucked safely in bed sound asleep, and the shower turned up as hot as it will go, that she allows herself to break. She slides to the bottom of the shower and allows the water to cover her tears and muffle her sobs.

**

Regina wakes early the next morning - if it can even be called waking when she'd hardly slept at all - determined to leave Storybrooke behind as soon as possible. She gently nudges Henry, trying to get him awake enough to stumble to the car. Once he's buckled in, he can go right back to sleep.

"Come on, Henry. We need to go." She says as she tries to lift him.

"Mmm, five more minutes, Mom." He mumbles against her shoulder.

She grunts as she tries to pick him up. He's certainly gotten heavier than he used to be and her already tired and aching body screams in protest. What she wouldn't give for a day at the spa. "Oh, I can't carry you, buddy. I need you to wake up for me. We need to go to the car, okay?"

"Why?" Comes through, garbled by sleep.

"Because we're leaving."

Suddenly, Henry stiffens in her arms. "What?" He pulls back, his eyes alert now.

"We're leaving." Regina repeats.

"No!" Henry pulls away, jumping off the bed and staring up at her with wide eyes. "No, we can't leave!"

"Henry, we've talked about this -"

"Yeah, but that was before. We can't just leave Emma, mom!"

"Henry -"

"Someone is trying to kill her!" Henry shouts, trying to make her see reason.

"Emma told you yesterday -"

"She lied! She didn't want me to be upset. But she knows it's true. We can't leave. We have to save her. You have to protect her."

"Me?" Regina asks incredulously.

"You saved her yesterday!"

"Just because I saved Emma yesterday, it doesn't mean -"

"Yes it does! That's exactly what it means!"

"Enough. Emma is fine and we are leaving."

"But why?" Henry asks, trying to make sense of it all. "Don't you like it here?"

"We don't belong here. We belong in Boston."

"No we don't!" Henry frowns. "This is where we belong. It's exactly what it was supposed to be like. Little town, little house -"

"Stop it, Henry." Regina warns, his words hitting too close to home.

"No!" Henry juts out his chin defiantly. "If dad were here -"

"What did I say?"

"This is exactly the kind of place Dad wanted us to live in! And if he were here right now -"

"Henry, I said stop it."

"He wouldn't want us to leave. He'd want us to stay and save Emma. He wanted to save everyone. You think I don't remember but I do. And if he was still alive -"

"He isn't!" Regina screams suddenly, grabbing onto Henry's shoulders and shaking him. "God damn it, Henry. He isn't alive! He isn't!"

Henry lets out a startled cry, tears slipping down his cheeks. In all of his life, his mother has never once raised her voice to him, let alone grabbed him.

At the sound of Henry's cry, Regina gasps and drops her hands, moving back away as though she's burned herself. Henry stares at her for a few long seconds before he grabs his backpack and takes off at a run, still wearing his Iron Man footie pajamas.

"Henry! Oh god. Henry!" Regina calls after him, but she cannot bring herself to go after him. She's horror-stricken at what she's just done, at who she has allowed herself to become in those few seconds when she'd lost control.

As she helplessly looks in the mirror across the room beside the door that Henry has left gaping open, it isn't her own reflection she sees, but rather the one of the woman she swore she'd never be like - her mother.

**

"Well," Kathryn laughs, "I was going to ask if you were ready to blow this joint, but I can see that you are."

Emma looks up with a scowl from her seat in the wheelchair that she's already had pushed to the sidewalk outside the hospital. "Took you long enough to get here," she grouses as she pushes herself up.

"Don't forget your crutches, Madam Mayor," the nurse reminds her. Emma's scowl only deepens.

"I'll take those, thank you." Kathryn offers with a smile as she grabs the crutches and watches as Emma hobbles to her waiting car. "Stubborn." She mumbles as she places the crutches in the backseat.

"Was it really that bad?" She asks once she's behind the wheel and ready to go.

"I had to deal with Dr. Whale for twelve hours. You tell me if it was that bad."

Kathryn laughs at that. She's well aware of the doctor's affinity for flirting and can't say she blames Emma for her reaction. "Well, we'll get you home so you can rest without having to worry about the good doctor."

"Actually," Emma says, glancing out the window, "I was wondering if maybe we could make a quick stop first?"

Kathryn notices that the mayor is chewing her lip. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"The B&B. I know that Regina and Henry are probably already gone but -" Her voice trails off, the rest of the sentence dying on her lips.

"I'll make you deal. We'll stop by the B&B if we can go to Granny's for breakfast after."

Emma shoots a knowing - and thankful - look at Kathryn. "Deal."

Kathryn flicks the turn signal to head in the direction of the B&B. They drive along in silence, with Emma staring out the window, lost in thought, until they pass the area by the old mines. It's then that the road seems to shudder and Kathryn slams on the brakes in surprise.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, but we need to find out." Emma says, already unbuckling her seat belt.

"Emma, I don't think you should -"

"I'm the mayor, remember? My town, my responsibility." Is Emma's response as she climbs out of the car and hobbles down the embankment toward the mines.

"Emma!" Kathryn calls, climbing out after her.

"It looks like something collapsed." Emma calls up to the lawyer. "We need to call Graham to set up a police perimeter. And maybe the fire department too. Get this place closed off before someone gets hurt."

"Okay. But once they get here, I'm taking you home. You need to be off that leg." Kathryn scolds, already pulling out her cell phone.

Emma ignores Kathryn's worries and moves closer to the entrance to the old mines. Whatever had collapsed was probably in pretty deep, but if things were starting to fall apart, it wouldn't be long before the whole mining infrastructure could cave. She'd need to take precautions before that happened. Maybe bulldoze the whole thing and pave over it.

Kathryn's voice interrupts Emma's thoughts. "Graham is on his way, as are the fire department, so we can go and let them take care of this."

"Kath, you know as well as I do that I can't -" Emma starts, turning back to look at Kathryn when something catches her eye. "No." She whispers, moving closer, her heart climbing into her throat.

"Emma? What's wrong?"

"No. Oh no." Emma crouches down in the dirt, ignoring the pain in her ankle as she reaches out to pick up the crumpled Apollo bar wrapping paper and - even worse - the Avengers vs. X-Men comic book laying beside it. Emma's seen this comic book before - Henry had been reading it the day he showed up in her office a week ago.

Scrambling to her feet, Emma rushes for the entrance to the mine. "Henry! Henry! Are you in there? Henry!"

"Emma?" Kathryn calls, rushing down the embankment, realizing that something is wrong.

"Henry!" Emma continues to scream for the little boy as she heads into the mouth of the mine.

"Emma?" A voice echoes out at her. It's small and sounds far away, but it's Henry's voice. She's sure of it.

"Henry! You need to get out of the mine. It isn't safe!"

"Emma, where are you?" Henry calls back to her.

"I'm at the opening of the mine. You need to get out of there. Follow my voice. I'll come in and meet you."

"Emma, what are you doing?" Kathryn grabs Emma's arm when she reaches her. "You can't go in there, it's dangerous."

"Henry is in there!" Emma flings the comic book up for Kathryn to see. "I have to go get him out."

"Oh god." Kathryn sighs, her eyes searching through the darkness of the mine. "Emma -"

"He's my kid, Kath."

"Emma?" Henry's voice is closer now and Emma turns to take in the sight of a flashlight beam coming out of the tunnel. At least the kid had been smart enough to take that with him.

"Henry! You need to hurry up and get out of there!" She calls, moving again toward the entrance.

And then Henry appears in the mouth of the mine shaft and Emma feels like she can finally exhale. She'll worry about why Henry is running around in an abandoned mine shaft in his pajamas with his mother no where in sight later. Right now, she just wants to hug him tightly and maybe never let him go.

"Oh!" Henry exclaims suddenly, turning back towards the shaft, "My Space Paranoids game! I left it further back in the mine. I have to go get it."

"No! I'll buy you a new one, or we'll get it later but -"

Her words fall on deaf ears as Henry turns to run back the way he came.

"Henry! It's not safe!" Emma calls, but the ground shakes again and debris begins to fall as the mouth of the mines collapses. "Henry! No! Henry!"

Kathryn holds tightly to Emma to keep her back from the falling rubble.

**

By the time Graham gets the police perimeter set up and the fire and rescue vehicles arrive, nearly all of Storybrooke is at the site. News travels fast in a small town, especially when that news involves a son that most people didn't know the mayor had being trapped in a mine.

It's just like she'd said the night before - Storybrooke is a small town and things do get boring, so when something happens, everyone gets over excited. And with a fire the night before and the mine shaft collapsing now - not to mention the apparent arrival of the son they never knew their mayor had - the entire town has been worked into quite a lather.

Emma's eyes are red rimmed and her throat is nearly raw from screaming for Henry when she stands up to address the citizens of her town.

"People of Storybrooke," she looks across at the faces of all her citizens, all who expect her to lead them, and she swallows hard. She's never wanted to disappoint them. "Yes. The rumors are true and there is a child - a little boy - trapped in the mine. His name is Henry. He's ten. And… he's my son."

A murmur goes up through the crowd as Emma fights off the sobs that are working their way up her throat. "I know you all have questions and I will answer them, I promise. But right now, I need to focus on getting Henry out of this alive. I'm standing here as your mayor and as Henry's mother. This is who I am. And I need your help. Please."

David steps forward from the crowd, a friendly face at the moment she really needs one. "What do you need from us, Madam Mayor?"

"I need -" Emma's throat catches. She needs to get her son out, but how? "I need a way to get down to Henry - to get through the debris or an alternate entrance. Something to punch through the ground. Something big."

"Like what?" Sean asks, his mind turning over various scenarios.

"Explosives." Marco offers.

**

Emma paces nervously as the workers set up explosives. Granny and Ruby have already made a trip to the diner and come back with coffee and water for everyone helping. It's the little things like that that make her smile, even as her stomach continues to churn.

Her eyes take in the crowd, and it's then, as she glances over the faces, that she realizes who is missing. Regina. Oh shit.

"Graham!" She calls out for him, but Archie interrupts her thoughts.

"We're all clear, Madam Mayor."

Emma knows she needs to find Regina, but she also needs to get Henry out of the mine as soon as possible. She's already well aware of what Regina would say if she was here.

"Blow it."

The explosion rocks the ground, and Emma's skidding down the embankment on an ankle that's ready to give out before the smoke has even cleared. She's praying that there will be an opening, that she'll be able to go in and get Henry and his video game. But when the smoke clears enough for her to see, it's obvious that it didn't work. If anything, the explosion just brought down more rubble.

"Did it work?" Someone calls down to her.

She can only shake her head and clutch tighter to the rumpled comic book in her grasp. "It didn't open."

"Then what did it do?"

**

"Fuck!" She breaks when she gets back up to the top of the embankment, throwing the comic book and allowing the tears to fall.

"Emma." David grips her shoulders, looking at her with all the strength she's come to admire in him. "We're going to get him out. We're going to find another way."

"How?" She's practically pleading now. "How am I supposed to get him out when I don't have any idea where any he is, let alone how to get down to him? He could be -"

"Hey, sister, calm down." Leroy says as he comes over. "As far as Walter and I can remember, there used to be maps of all the underground mines, including entrances, back when the mines were still in use. We just need to get them and we'll be able to figure out a way down."

"Maps." Emma clings to the hope of that word. "Okay. Okay. So who's got the maps?"

Another voice cuts through the crowd and Emma feels her blood run cold. "Well, that would be me, dearie."

 

**

 

"It's Gold. Do you really want to trust him?" David asks as they huddle together.

"I don't have a choice at the moment." Emma huffs. "He's got the maps and I need them."

"And you think he's just going to give them to you? Everything comes with a price with him, Madam Mayor. You know that." Graham cautions.

"I don't care!" Emma hisses. "Henry is trapped in that mine. I'm not going to stand here and argue with you while his oxygen runs out! I don't care what Gold's price is! He's my son. I'll pay it!"

"So lovely to hear, dearie." Gold smirks, coming closer to the little group. "Although I am a little hurt that you think I'd ask for something in exchange for the maps when a child's life is in danger."

"So you'll give me the maps without a price?" Emma turns to face him.

"Now, I didn't say that, did I?"

"What do you want?" Emma snaps. She doesn't have time for these games.

"Hmm." Gold appears to be considering things before he holds the maps out to her. "I don't know just yet. You'll owe me a favor."

"Deal." Emma grabs the maps, damning the consequences as she rushes for the hood of Michael's tow truck. She spreads the maps out and starts reading, David and Sean looking over her shoulders. It's only as she's trying to make sense of what she's seeing that her earlier thoughts come back to her.

"Can you guys look at these and try to find a way in for me?" Emma asks and David and Sean both nod.

"We'll get Leroy and Walter to look at them with us. Maybe they'll remember something."

"Thanks, guys." She offers them a weak smile as she turns and heads for the sheriff.

**

"You need to go find Regina." She tells Graham once she reaches his side. "Check the B&B first. Maybe Henry ran off without her knowing again. I don't know. But you need to find her. She needs to be here. He's her kid."

"I thought he was your kid?" Kathryn points out her earlier claim, not unkindly.

"He's both our kid, okay?" Emma snaps, the truth of that statement suddenly settling over her. Henry is her son and he's Regina's son. And right now, it isn't about who his real mother is. It's about saving their son. For both of them.

"Go, Graham!"

"Don't do anything until I get back." Graham insists. Emma just turns back towards the guys looking over the maps. She'll make no promises.

"Madam Mayor, I think we found something!" Sean calls out.

Emma rushes to the truck, while Graham climbs into the cruiser to go find Regina.

**

"What is that?" Emma asks as she stares at the marking on the map that is being pointed out to her.

"It's an air shaft." Leroy explains. "And based on these maps, it should be right around here."

"Over here!" Walter calls, standing over a grate.

Emma takes in the grate and turns. "Michael?" It's then that she notices that the mechanic is already in the truck, turning on the engine. David grabs the maps off the hood and Michael moves to truck into position, lowering the hook attached to it. Marco attaches the hook and then nods.

"Gun it." Emma says and watches as the grate is pulled away. She rushes over as soon as it's clear. "Henry? Henry! Can you hear me?"

There's no sound, but the shaft descends down deep into the ground. Emma prays that Henry is just too far down to hear her.

"What now?" She looks up at the assembled group, no longer their mayor, but just a worried mother who doesn't know what to do.

"Best bet is to lower someone down to try to find the kid. Then we'll pull 'em both back up." Leroy offers.

"You'll need to lower them straight down, or the line will collapse the side of the shaft."

"I've got a harness." Michael offers, holding it out to her.

"Can you do it? Can you lower someone straight down?"

Michael looks at her and sees the desperation in her eyes. He understands how she's feeling, thinking of what it would be like if Ava or Nicholas were trapped. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." Emma grabs the harness. "Then lower me down."

"Oh, no way!" Kathryn exclaims, coming over to her. "You're injured. You can't do this."

"No one else can." Emma swings her arms to encompass the assembled people around the grate. "We have to make sure the line can hold the weight of the person lowered down and Henry. I'm the lightest one here."

"And you're already hurt. I'm going." Kathryn says, reaching for the harness.

"He's my son." Emma says, holding the harness away.

"Emma."

"He's my son, Kath." She says, quieter this time, and Kathryn understands everything she isn't saying. "Besides, you've been sitting behind a desk for the last five years."

"Oh and you haven't?" Kathryn snarks back, even as she helps Emma step into the harness.

"At least I still run every morning." Emma smirks as Kathryn pulls the harness tight.

Kathryn puts her hands on Emma's shoulders. "Graham went to get Regina. Maybe we can -"

Emma shakes her head. "We don't have time to waste. Besides, something tells me that after everything that's happened, this could send Regina over the edge. I want Henry to be out of that mine before she ever gets here."

"You gonna be okay?"

"I can do this."

"I know you can." Kathryn smiles. "That's not what I asked."

Emma nods. "I'll need to freak out about all of this and what it means later over booze. Lots of booze."

"You got it. Now come on. Let's go save your kid."

**

Graham's hand instantly goes to the gun at his side when he takes in door to Regina and Henry's room hanging wide open. He approaches quietly, and glances around the doorframe, surprised to see Regina crumpled on the floor and staring blankly at the wall.

"Regina?" He says cautiously as he steps into the room, but his deputy doesn't seem to hear him. "Regina? It's Graham."

He moves closer, but she still doesn't acknowledge his presence. He frowns as he glances around the room. Besides the covers on one of the beds being tossed back, nothing looks out of place and there's no sign of a struggle.

"Regina, are you hurt?" He tries again, but there's still no reply from her.

Finally he kneels down next to her and gently puts his hand on her shoulder. She reacts instantly, lashing out and hitting him in the throat with the side of her hand. He instantly falls back, coughing and spluttering, and Regina finally comes out of her trance.

"Graham?" She asks, when she realizes who it is next to her. "What are you - oh, god, are you okay?" She helps him sit up and looks him over.

He continues to cough until he finally finds his voice. "Well, besides being karate chopped in the trachea, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry!" Regina says instantly. "I didn't realize - I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Graham shakes her off.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asks, still trying to process everything. She's not sure when Graham got here, the last thing she remembers is - "Oh god, Henry!"

She jumps up and Graham catches her arm. "That's why I'm here, Regina."

She spins back to him, the same panic in her eyes as he saw in Emma's at the mine. "Where is he? Where is my son? What's happened?"

"I don't know all the details. I don't think anyone really does, although Emma and Kathryn were there when it happened."

"When what happened?" Regina demands, suddenly grabbing his arm and squeezing tight enough that her fingernails dig into his skin.

"Henry was down at the old mines, playing in one of the shafts. The shaft wasn't stable and… well, it collapsed."

"What?" The world spins around Regina and she has to hold enough tighter to Graham to keep standing.

"The mine collapsed with Henry inside. He's trapped. But Emma's there now, working on a way to get him out. She wanted me to come get you, to let you know." Graham explains, but Regina doesn't hear anything after the word trapped.

Her whole world crumbles then and her knees give way, sending her crashing to the floor, her fingernails dragging along Graham's skin and drawing blood on their way down.

This cannot be happening. Not after everything else. Not after she'd nearly lost him once. She cannot lose him. She cannot survive without him.

She thinks back to their fight, to the determination in Henry's eyes, to his pleading for them to stay. But she'd been so trapped in the past, so afraid of somehow defiling Daniel's memory that she'd pushed everyone away who'd tried to help her, to make her see. She thinks of Emma's hands closing around her own in the hospital room and the way she had pulled away from her and left. And she thinks of the way she had finally snapped and grabbed Henry, frightening him enough that he ran away. To the mines.

Oh god.

This is all her fault. Her son is trapped in a mine, possibly dead, and it's all her fault.

"Regina?" Graham's voice is tentative, as though he has no idea what to do in this situation. And suddenly, in that moment, she hates him. She hates him with everything she has.

"Take me to him." She demands, forcing herself back up. She will go and she will get her son back, because she's the only one who can. It's all on her shoulders, as it always has been.

"Regina -"

"Now." Is all she says as she runs past him and out the door.

**

Emma's heart pounds rapidly in her chest as she is lowered farther and farther down into the air shaft. She's petrified of what she will - or possibly won't - find when she reaches the bottom. A large part of her had wanted to wait, to let Regina do this when she arrived with Graham. She was Henry's mother after all, she should be the one to save him.

But Emma wasn't willing to risk waiting for her. Those minutes could be the difference between - well, they could just be the difference. And so she had strapped on the harness, and here she is.

"Henry!" She calls every few minutes as she gets lower and lower. "Henry!"

And finally, from out of the darkness comes a weak light and an even weaker voice. "Emma?"

Her heart nearly bursts with joy.

**

Regina flies out of the cruiser before Graham even gets it in park.

"Where is he? Where's Henry?" She calls as she races forward to the group that's all crowded around something. Her stomach turns as she considers what it could be. "Where is my son?"

"Regina." Kathryn says as she takes in the brunette. She sees the same fear written all over her face as had been on Emma's before they'd lowered her down.

"Kathryn. Where is Henry?" Regina rushes to her, picking out the semi-familiar face in the crowd.

"He's still down in the mine." Kathryn explains softly, her hand coming to wrap around Regina's arm in support. "But we just lowered Emma down and -"

"What?" The words don't make sense. It's her son down there, she's the only thing he's got, and yet…

"We found an old air shaft, which we think will lead us down to Henry. We lowered Emma down to get him."

"Emma." Regina says the name, her mind trying to wrap around what's going on. "But I -"

Kathryn smiles gently and says what Regina already knows, but doesn't quite understand yet. "He's her son, too."

**

"Henry!" The word comes out on a sob as Emma takes in the sight of Henry at the bottom of the shaft. He's covered in dirt and grime and there are some tears in his pajamas, but he's clutching his backpack - and the damn Space Paranoids game - and smiling up at her.

"Emma!" He grins, reaching up towards her. "You came for me."

"Well of course I did." She says as she grabs onto him, pulling him tight against her. "I'm your mother. I'm supposed to help you."

Henry buries his face in her neck as she tugs on the rope that they'd tossed down as a signal wire to let them know to pull her back up.

**

David feels the tug on the line and his head snaps up. "Pull them up!" He shouts over to Michael.

Regina whips around to face the open shaft, where the cable is slowly being pulled up. She clutches Kathryn's hand, unaware of her actions, and prays, tears streaming down her cheeks. She'll do whatever Henry wants, whatever he asks of her, as long as he's okay. She'll never yell at him again. Just let him be okay. Please, god, let him be okay.

It seems to be taking hours for Michael to pull the cable back up and Regina can't even breathe as she waits, but finally there's a shock of blonde hair and the cable turns, spinning the mayor around and revealing the boy clutched in her arms, still clad in his Iron Man pajamas.

"Henry!" She gasps out, rushing over and falling to her knees as David and Sean help lift them the final few feet up and out of the shaft.

Tears are pouring down her cheeks but a beautiful smile is lighting up her face as she takes in her son, nestled in Emma's arms. And as the mayor carefully releases him into her waiting grasp before being pulled away to be unharnessed and checked over, the thought flicks through Regina's mind that maybe she doesn't have to do it alone anymore.

But then it's gone in the sea of emotion that crashes over her as she holds her son in her arms, not caring about the dirt or anything but holding him and smelling his hair and proving to herself that he's real and he's alive and he's here with her.

"Henry. Henry. Henry." She sobs against him, just like she'd done on their first night in Storybrooke. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Henry just hugs her tight, all of the pain and fear from the morning erased, and murmurs over and over, "It's okay. I'm okay."

**

It isn't until they've made it to the hospital, away from all the hubbub at the mine, that Regina catches sight of Emma again. The mayor had been whisked away by her friends as soon as she was lifted out and then left to deal with calming her citizens and figuring out what to do about the mine situation.

Regina had been too wrapped up in her reunion with Henry to notice the other woman's absence, and then had been far more concerned with getting Henry to a doctor than anything else.

But now, as she stands in an empty waiting room, she watches as the mayor hobbles in on an ankle that is obviously re-injured, and feels all those feelings from the mine crashing over her again.

"Regina." Emma offers her a wobbly smile, and that's all it takes for Regina to break.

She's sobbing before she realizes it, and it's only Emma's arms around her that keep her from sliding to the ground. How the mayor manages to keep them both standing is beyond her, but Regina just clings to her, as though afraid to let her go. She buries her face in Emma's neck, unknowingly mirroring Henry's actions, and when she realizes just how similar the two smell, she pulls back to stare at Emma.

"Hey," Emma whispers, carefully wiping tears off her cheeks, "it's okay."

"Emma." She croaks, already leaning forward, her eyes darting to pink lips. And then she's kissing Emma, brushing their lips together in a gesture that's filled with all the emotion that's still swirling through her.

"Madam Mayor." A nurse calls as she steps into the room and the two break away quickly, Regina's eyes widening at the realization of what she's just done. "Dr. Whale will see you now."

Emma presses her forehead against Regina's for a moment, just staring into her eyes. "Don't leave without me?" She asks, her voice small.

"We won't." Regina whispers and then watches as Emma limps away, following the nurse.

**

"He's got a few bumps and bruises and I've given him a mild sedative to help with the pain and let him get some rest, but other than that, Henry is one very lucky boy." The doctor explains to her before opening the door to the room where Henry is waiting. "I'll send someone in with the discharge papers for you in a few minutes."

"Thank you, doctor." Regina offers, although she's already moving into the room to where Henry is sitting up in bed, glancing through his comics.

He looks up at her and offers her a smile that morphs quickly into a frown.

"Henry, what is it? Are you in pain?" Regina spins around to call for the doctor again before Henry's voice cuts her off.

"No, Mom, I'm fine. It's just… they threw away my Iron Man pajamas. And I lost my Avengers vs. X-Men comic somewhere."

And after everything that's happened today, all Regina can do is laugh. "I'll buy you another pair. I'll buy you a million pairs. And all the comics you can read." She says as she pulls him close and plants kisses all over his face.

When she pulls back, she runs her hand down over his cheek. "I am so, so sorry, Henry. About everything that happened this morning and -"

"I'm sorry too, Mom. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I never should've grabbed you, Henry. The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you and -"

"I know, Mom. It's okay. I think I just pushed a little too hard." He offers her a smile, although it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "We can go back to Boston."

She thinks about her promise while she was waiting for him to be rescued and of Emma Swan and the kiss that they'd just shared. "Well, I think that we might stick around. At least for a few more days."

Henry's smile does reach his eyes this time as he wraps him arms tightly around her. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Henry."

**

"Well, looks like you've managed to take it up to a Grade II sprain, Madam Mayor." Dr. Whale announces, sounding much too cheerful about that fact.

Emma just offers him her best mayoral death glare. "Well, looks like you can bandage me up and send me on my way then, Dr. Whale."

"Madam Mayor -"

Emma cuts him off. "I did what you wanted last night, but there is no way I am staying here overnight again. I will sign myself out against doctor's orders if I have to, but I have a situation with the mine that I have to deal with. So I am leaving here right now and I am taking my son and his mother with me."

Dr. Whale doesn't even try to argue.

**

Kathryn is waiting, car keys in hand, when all three of them arrive back in the waiting room at just about the same time.

"Emma!" Henry rushes to her to hug her tightly and Emma returns the embrace with a smile, glancing up at Regina.

"Hey, kid. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, except they threw away my Iron Man pajamas."

Emma laughs at that. "I think we can get you a new pair. Oh, and speaking of, I think this might belong to you. Sorry it got a little crinkled." Emma says as she takes the Avengers vs. X-Men comic book from Kathryn and hands it to Henry.

"My comic book!" Henry beams at her. "Thanks, Emma."

Emma swallows hard against the emotion rising in her throat. "You're welcome, Henry."

"Alright," Kathryn's voice breaks in. "I know three people who need to get home and get some rest. So let's roll."

They all follow her out to her car and Regina makes no complaint when they bypass the B&B and head for Mifflin Street.

**

"Hey," Kathryn says, grabbing Emma's arm to stop her from following Regina who is carrying a sleeping Henry through the door. "I called Mary Margaret while I was waiting for you guys and managed to talk her down from coming over here to check on you tonight. Graham is taking care of the mine site for now and Ashley has cleared your schedule for tomorrow, so just… relax for a little, won't you?"

Emma wraps her arms around the lawyer and squeezes her tightly. "Thanks, Kath. For everything."

Kathryn smiles as she releases her. "Oh, and Emma?" She looks pointedly toward the stairs where Regina has disappeared with Henry and then smirks at Emma. "Use your damn crutches, this time."

She shoves the crutches into Emma's hand while the mayor just laughs. She knows what Kathryn is saying, without saying it. "I will. Thanks."

**

Emma walks quietly into the room, slowly lowering herself to the bed on the opposite side of where Regina sits. Henry sleeps quietly between them, as Regina runs her fingers gently through his hair.

Neither woman seems to know what to say, so they just focus on the little boy between them. Finally, Regina speaks.

"We fought this morning." Her voice is nothing more than a whisper and she never moves her gaze from Henry. "I was so tired and so stressed and Henry said something and I just snapped. I grabbed him. And I saw this fear in his eyes, fear that I never wanted to see there. That I never wanted to put there. And when I looked in the mirror -"

Emma's hand closes over Regina's. "You aren't her." Regina's eyes snap to Emma's. "You are an amazing mother and Henry adores you. By tomorrow he will have forgotten all about what happened this morning, if he hasn't already. And that's because he knows how much you love him and that you'd never hurt him. So, you see, you'll never be her."

"H-how -"

Emma just shrugs. "After I gave up Henry, I used to look in the mirror and see my mother, even though I had no idea what she looked like. All I could think about was that I'd turned out to be exactly like her."

"No, you didn't." Regina says vehemently, surprising both of them. "Your mother left you on the side of the road. You gave Henry up to a loving home. It's completely different."

Emma smiles softly at her. "The same is true for you."

Regina swallows and looks back at Henry. The quiet settles around them like a blanket and Emma continues to hold Regina's hand.

"Daniel would've loved it here. Henry knew that. I knew it too, but I couldn't - it felt like a betrayal, being here without him, in this perfect little town that was exactly what he always dreamed about."

Emma says nothing, just squeezes her hand.

"After he died, everything felt like a betrayal. Breathing, smiling, laughing. If it wasn't for Henry -" Regina's voice catches. "Daniel saved me. He showed me what love - true love - and happiness were. And without him, how was I ever supposed to feel that way again?"

"I don't think it's a betrayal." Emma says quietly. "I think he'd want you both to be happy, wherever that might be and whatever that might entail."

Regina offers a tentative smile. "I think you're right." She breathes for a few minutes before she speaks again. "You're the first person I've kissed since he died."

Emma's eyes widen at that. "Oh god. I - I'm sorry - I -"

Regina squeezes her hand and shakes her head. "I'm not. I'm - I'm a lot of other things. Confused and worried chief among them. But I'm not sorry."

"You don't need to be worried." Emma offers. "Confused, I get though."

They both chuckle softly.

"You don't have to do it alone, you know?" Emma says then, speaking aloud Regina's thoughts from the mine.

"Wh -"

"I mean, I know I gave Henry up. And he is your son and I would never, ever try to take him from you. And everything I said before still stands. If you want to leave and never see me again, I won't try to stop you. But - he's also my son. And I think today was the first time I was really able to admit that and everything that it meant. And if you want - and only if you want - I'm here. I'm ready to be here, in whatever capacity you need me to be."

Regina stares at her. It really isn't that simple - there are so many factors that she should bring up - but as she looks from Emma to Henry, she realizes that maybe it is. Maybe being happy is that simple. At least to start out. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Emma confirms, smiling widely.

"I think - I think that I'd like that."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So, uh, does this mean that you're gonna stick around for a while?"

Regina nods. "I think it does."

"Well, then, uh, maybe sometime, Kathryn or Mary Margaret could watch Henry and I could, uh, take you out to dinner?"

Regina finds herself nodding again. "I think I'd like that, too."

"Good." Emma murmurs as she leans over to gently kiss Regina again. She leans in to meet Emma's kiss willingly.

And between them, a small smile slips onto Henry's face. It hadn't gone exactly according to plan, but that didn't really matter - not when he had both his moms together like he'd hoped for.

Mission accomplished.  



End file.
